Flashback Series
by ShadowRunner
Summary: A new series which takes place directly after the Hunter's Moon
1. New Beginnings

New Beginnings

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

Hello all, here is my own personal take on what occurred at the end of The Hunter's Moon. Right now it's looking like a series and for the most part it pretty much ignores The Goliath Chronicles. 

By the way, I don't own them, they are not mine, pretty much everyone belongs to Disney and the best I can hope to do is borrow them from time to time and swear I wont make any money off them…

This is in no any way linked to any of my previous stuff, but just goes to re-enforce my obsession with a completely awesome series. Thanks to everyone who's read my stuff, hope this goes as well as some of the others…

Hope you like and happy reading.

***** ***** *****

Previously on Gargoyles…

__

Atop the highest turret of Castle Wyvern, Goliath stands looking over the city. Elisa joins him. 

GOLIATH: "So, things have come full circle." 

ELISA: "Somehow they always do… You know how I feel about you, right?" 

__

Goliath runs his talons through her hair. 

GOLIATH: "How we both feel...yes," 

ELISA: "Good," 

__

She jumps up, links her arms around his neck and kisses him. She jumps down just as the sun freezes him. 

ELISA: "Welcome home, Goliath… welcome home…" 

__

She turns to leave. 

***** ***** *****

SECONDS LATER ATOP THE CASTLE WYVERN…

Elisa paused briefly at the doorway of the Great Hall and turned to look back at the rising sun. She took in a deep breath as she looked at Goliath, his shadow already coming into view on the ground. Almost as an after thought added, "Sweet dreams…" she couldn't bring herself to say more - not yet - but soon.

__

Time to hit the road, she thought to herself. Her movements reflected her feelings; very tired, very drained, but happy. It was almost as if a great weight had been lifted from her. She realized that for the first time in a while she felt…pretty good. She turned to the coolness of the Castle. 

Suddenly she didn't quite as tired anymore.

David Xanatos stood in the middle of the room, looking at her with an almost thoughtful expression on his face. Owen Burnett, Xanatos right hand man, stood off to one side of the hall, hands behind his back.

"They seem happy to be home. You know you are always welcome to see them, anytime." Xanatos replied, his voice slightly echoing in the room. 

Elisa felt her temper rise and despite having spoken earlier with him, she still was not comfortable with the current situation. She knew now was not the time or place for a fight with the multi-billionaire, but after past dealings with him, one act of selflessness did not atone for the two years of drama he'd put the Gargoyles through… not to mention her and the rest of the world. She wasn't quite ready to forgive and forget and this was a confrontation that had been building for some time.

"Look here you self made freak of nature," she began. 

Xanatos flinched slightly at her comment, but said nothing as she continued. "You may have bought your self some points with the others, but nothing can erase the pain you have caused over the years. Goliath and the others might be ready to redeem you, but me? Sorry bud, I happen to be a bit more reserved in my judgment. Don't think any of this changes much as far as I'm concerned."

"I know you say they are safe, but that doesn't mean I trust you, and just to make it clear, no I don't trust you. Trust has to earned Xanatos, not bought." She continued past him and through the room to the elevator. Xanatos started to speak but she cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Do not even attempt to grow a brain right now because I'm not in the mood for it." 

Owen took this as his cue and walked over to her, "Detective, there is a pass and key waiting for you at the front desk. The key is for castle elevator entry and the pass will grant you unrestricted access to the building." He inserted his key and pressed the button for the car to come to the top floor. 

Elisa looked at the stainless steel doors of the elevator, trying to steady her voice. The confrontation with Xanatos bothered her and while she'd always had a short temper with him, this time… it was more. "What's his angle?" she asked.

"There is no 'angle', Detective, and he is sincere about their safety." Almost as an after thought he added, "As Mr. Xanatos stated before, he owes them…and you, much." 

The elevator arrived and the doors opened and as Elisa stepped into the elevator, she turned to face Owen. "You're right… he does owe them…." she said as the doors closed.

"Always a pleasure Detective" he said quietly. Owen turned back to see Xanatos still standing in the middle of the room. "Sir," He made the comment more as statement than anything else.

Xanatos was silent for such a long time Owen thought he hadn't heard him. "That could have gone better." he finally replied.

"Yes Sir, it could have, but it is to be expected."

"I suppose… still…" Xanatos finally turned to face Owen, "she did call me 'Buddy'. That's as good a start as any." He began walking out of the Great Hall.

"I believe the tern she used was 'Bud' Sir, and I should also point out she called you, and I quote 'A self made freak of nature'."

Xanatos stopped and looked thoughtful, "A term of endearment. I'm sure she meant nothing by it." He began walking to the back rooms where the waking cries of Alexander could be faintly heard. "I think it's going to be a beautiful day, Owen."

Owen adjusted his glasses and pulled a cell phone from his coat and began scheduling the day's appointments.

***** ***** *****

Cagney was mewing so loudly Elisa could actually hear him before she even entered her apartment. She walked in taking her jacket off, tossing it casually on the couch as she entered the kitchen. "Hey, you act like you haven't been fed in months." She felt a slight pang considering there had been a time where it might have been months before the cat might eat. Thankfully Broadway and the others had seen to the cat's well being in her absence.

"I'm sorry," she bent over to pick the animal up. "No more bailing on you without warning." She rubbed the cat behind the ears for a few minutes before dropping him back to the floor. She opened a can of Nine Lives and placed the contents into the cat's dish and all was forgiven as far as Cagney was concerned. 

She walked over to the kitchen drawer where she kept the lock box for her pistol and put it away. Ever since "The Incident', as she thought of it now, she'd been almost religious about securing her weapon. No sense in going thought that again. 

Glancing up at the clock; she realized it was almost 9:30. "Damn it's late." She murmured as she walked towards the rear of her apartment. As she moved past the answering machine she noticed the message light was blinking. 

She debated about leaving the message for later but decided it might be a good idea to check it now. It could be Captain Chavez but more than likely it was some long distance company wanting her to change her service. It turned out to be neither, rather it was a brief message from her mother asking her to contact Derek to see if he and Maggie could come to dinner next week. She felt a slight pang at the message since it had been sometime since she'd seen her brother. She'd have to plan on getting down to the Labyrinth soon.

She picked up her jacket and fished through the pockets before hanging it up. Her badge, car keys, loose change, and assorted pieces of paper were tossed on the coffee table. The last item was one she held on to for a bit longer. 

It was standard identification card, which included name, height, weight, and other vital information; it also had a stamp that permitted unescorted entry into the Eyrie Building; the home of Xanatos Enterprises. Harmless enough she supposed… but it also had a place for a photo ID. 

The picture bothered her, not because it was bad, actually it was a pretty good one. She wasn't exactly looking straight ahead in the picture but she wasn't exactly looking away in the photo either. She had something of a half-smile on her face, as if she had a pleasant thought just as the picture was taken.

What bothered her was the fact she hadn't had to pose for the picture at all because it was already on it when she picked it up from the Security Desk.

Elisa looked at the card closely, flipping it over in her hands. One thing was certain, who ever took it had done so when she was unaware. She pondered it for a moment longer, then tossed the card on the table in disgust. 

Who was she fooling; that someone had to have been David Xanatos.

The real question was when… and why? 

Surely even he couldn't have known all this would happen… _could he? _ She was too tired to think about it any more, beside there were much more pleasant things to think about. She briefly touched her fingers to her lips; she could still feel the tingle. She contemplated taking a shower but then decided against it since her earlier exhaustion was returning.

Walking into the bedroom she striped down to under clothes and slipped between the cool sheets. She lay there in half thoughts and after a few minutes felt Cagney leap up on the bed with her. The cat snuggled up against her warmth, purring softly. Elisa smiled and sleepily stroked the feline. Her last thoughts before drifting off to sleep; _I kissed Goliath tonight. _

***** ***** *****

The ringing of the phone wasn't exactly what woke her, more it was the voice emitting from the machine telling her to quit screening her calls and pick up. It took only a moment for the voice of Captain Maria Chavez to finally kick Elisa into some semblance of alertness. She reached over and picked up the bedroom extension, '"Yeah, Cap. I'm here."

Captain Chavez's voice sounded far away, "_Maza, are you there?_"

"Yeah," she said a bit louder this time. Captain Chavez still sounded distant to her and realized she had the phone upside down. She flipped it around speaking into the correct end of the phone this time, "Sorry, what's up?"

"Mayor Anderson has called an emergency meeting for this afternoon at 3 PM. I might need you and Detective Bluestone to be here for it." 

"Sure…no problem," rubbing her eyes with a free hand, she asked, "What time is it now?" 

"It's 1:30. I knew you might be sleeping, but I couldn't put it off any longer. I know you have some down time coming but we really need everyone on this, I'll make it up to you. See you here at 3." And with that the line when dead.

Elisa lay there for a few moments, tapping the receiver against her forehead, trying to collect her thoughts. 3 PM. Meeting with the Mayor. Today. What the hell was going on now? Then it clicked; the Gargoyle Task Force. 

The GTF was designed to locate the 'dangerous gargoyles' and bring them in. The foundation of the task force had been to protect the public from the dangerous creatures of the night, and up until a few days ago, the New York Police Department had been treating it as something of a joke. Nothing to be taken too serious but still needed in order to maintain the status quo. She imagined that had all changed in light of the resent situation.

She swung her legs over the bed, eliciting a soft meow from Cagney. _Man, I don't like this_ she thought, as she moved to the bathroom. The phone began ringing again and for a moment she almost let the machine pick it up but then decided against it. "Hello?"

The familiar voice of her partner, Matt Bluestone, came though on the other line, sounding almost as sleepy as she herself felt, "Hey Partner…"

"You're up too? Damn, I was hoping it was a bad dream." 

"Yeah, well then I'm calling to suck you into my nightmare. Only people who do terrible and rotten things should be woken in the middle of their 'night' for things like this." he replied.

"So what's your excuse?"

"Very funny. Any chance you could pick me up on your way in?"

Elisa rubbed her head in puzzlement, "Sure, but why? Is your ride in the shop or something?"

The voice other line was silent for a minute, "Yeah you could say 'something' like that…"

"Matt, what's wrong with your car?" Elisa could almost picture him rubbing his head trying to decide whether or not to say anything, "Come on… what gives?"

He paused before answering, "You remember the little mishap at work?"

"What, you mean the explosion? Yeah, vaguely." She replied sarcastically.

"Where do you think my car was parked?"

Elisa cringed. Matt hadn't said anything about his car being caught in the ensuing chaos after the Hunter's blew up the Clock Tower, which incidentally happened to be on top of the 23rd Precinct. Things had been so busy she really hadn't had a chance to talk to Matt at all. "I'll be there in a hour." she replied. 

She was about to hang up but instead called out, "Matt."

"Yeah?"

She had no idea why she called out to him since the original words she was going to say slipped from her mind. She took a deep breath before speaking again, "Sorry about your car."

"Hey, it's not like you could have seen that one coming. See ya here in an hour."

***** ***** *****

It was 2:45 when they arrived at the 23rd Precinct and parking turned out to be a bigger problem than they had anticipated. Matt gave her some good-natured ribbing about it, "Sorry Partner, gone are the days of just slipping right into the front row. Your gonna have to park in the rear with the rest of us lowly citizens." He actually looked like he was gloating about it. 

Refusing to be baited into a verbal battle, she circled around and they walked to the front of the building. Much of the area was still roped off and there was a considerable crowd outside the building. A small band of uniformed officers were attempting to keep the group in check. Elisa saw Officer Morgan at the top of the stairs, trying to keep the piece with the others. She pushed her way through the crowd with Matt coming up behind her. "Hey Morgan, what the heck is going on?" she asked once they came into shouting range. 

"Afternoon Detectives. Just trying to 'Protect and Serve', for all the good it seems to be doing." Morgan replied. At the top of the stairs the trio surveyed the crowd. In all actuality, it was more of a mob… an angry mob with picket signs. 

'KILL THE MONSTERS', 'STOP THE EVIL','SAVE NY' and a slightly misguided "THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING ON TUESDAY' were only a few of the ones Elisa bothered to read; she could feel the rage building. Matt pulled her by the arm into the station, "Come on, we're going to be late."

The 23rd, from the outside, didn't look nearly as bad as it had a few days ago. Much of the outside clean up had been accomplished within 72 hours of the blast. Forensic teams, along with the Bomb Squad, looked for evidence early in order to prevent the crime scene from being contaminated. The inside, however, was another story. Even under normal circumstances a police station could be overwhelmingly busy, but at that moment, the 23rd was boarder-lined hysteria. There were more people in there than Elisa had seen in along time. 

Police, forensic units, photographers, along with the press and TV crews, were all milling about trying to do their job and basically getting in each other's way. In addition to them, there was also a group of contractors repairing some of the damage the station had received as a result of the explosion. To top it all off, the security detail for the Mayor was in full force although she didn't see him around. Apparently he was already in a meeting with Captain Chavez. 

She walked over to where several other officers and detectives were standing around a makeshift Command Post. Someone handed her a cup of coffee and she murmured her thanks. Everyone was talking in hushed tones, conducting their own damage assessments to the building and the situation as a whole. 

"… rebuilding now.."

"… damn lucky no one was in holding cell two…."

"… A few more weeks and the place will be good as new..."

She was about to ask the Desk Sergeant for an update when she began to hear bits and pieces of the 'lessor' conversations that had been plaguing the station and her for days. 

"… Fucking monsters.."

"… betrayed by one of our own.."

"… they really let them get away after they gunned down a cop?"

That comment got her attention. Elisa stopped and looked the sea of uniforms and people surrounding her. A few of the older officers smiled and nodded at her while others refused to make eye contact with her at all. On the surface, they simply didn't understand how her then partner, Jason Canmore, could have turned on them. Underneath it all, she knew a few wondered if _she_ had somehow betrayed them too; if she had known all along what was going to happen. 

Already, by some, she was branded as a sympathizer to the Gargoyles. They all felt hurt, betrayed, and it was going to take time for the healing to begin; the wounds were still too fresh. She understood what they were feeling, even if not for the same reasons. She shook her head sadly and began moving over to the area designated for detectives and uniformed officers.

A few reporters and several construction workers who appeared to be on a never ending break were currently occupying the restricted area. Upon seeing her arrival, the construction workers moved away, mumbling to each other as they left. Elisa heard bits of their comments but refused to be baited into a battle of the wits with people who were clearly unarmed for the battle. The reporters, on the other hand, remained where they were. 

"OK you two, you know you're not supposed to be in this area. Let's move the party someplace else alright?" 

"I'm waiting for a call," replied one of the men.

Elisa looked at the man as if he had just grown a third eye. She was trying to be civil but apparently they were not going to be won over by her charm. She took two steps toward the man who's butt was currently parked in a near by chair, "Maybe I didn't make myself clear; Get the hell out of here." She could feel her fists clenching as her temper began to rise. 

Matt had been watching her ever since they enter the 23rd. While he was more than certain Elisa could handle this idiot, he knew she was in no condition to deal with this predicament calmly. Considering her earlier reaction to the picket signs he had the feeling that if this continued he'd be breaking up a fistfight. Neither of them needed any more drama right now. As he approached his partner he could see her conversation with the reporters was about to take a turn for the worse.

The second man, who was sitting on a nearby desk, raised an eyebrow and glanced at Elisa, as if daring her to remove them. "And we should be listening to you because…?" 

It was a smug remark but it had accomplished more than it was intended for. Elisa's arm snapped out far faster than the man expected and he quickly discovered she was going to try and choke him with his own necktie. 

Matt took this as his cue to intervene on behalf of the reporter who was turning an interesting shade of blue. He knew she'd give him hell later on but right now was not the time, or the place, for killing the man. 

He pulled his partner off the gasping man, "Alright sports fans, move along. You can get your call someplace else. Move your butt Mister." 

Elisa snapped around and looked at him as if she was going to strangle him, and in a brief second Matt saw her rage refocus on him. He stepped back, startled, but immediately shook it off, knowing there was no way he'd seen what he thought he saw. Instead, he gave her a look as if to say 'I have no idea what you are looking at' and sat down at the opposite desk and started looking through the contents of several folders.

The two reporters got up to leave, "You know, Bluestone," the man said as he straightened, and loosened, his tie, "You should keep an eye on your partner. It would be a shame if you ended up the same way as her last one… Shot in the back and all…" 

Matt acted as if he heard none of the conversation and continued leafing through reports without really reading them. The pair moved away and he braced himself for the storm he knew would be coming. When it didn't happen right away, he looked up to see Elisa sitting at the other desk rummaging through the drawers with a frustrated look and muttering quietly to herself. 

He glanced momentarily at the departing reporters, "What a couple of morons…" He shifted his attention back to Elisa and asked softly, "Are you OK?"

She let a heavy sigh out and looked over at him, "Matt, is this even my desk?"

Before Matt could even answer, Chavez stuck her head out of what was left of her office and yelled out, "Maza! Bluestone! My office, now!"

***** ***** *****

Elisa sat in the front seat of the Fairlane, waiting for Matt to come out of the station. It was getting late and she wanted to get over to the Eyrie Building before sunset. She checked her watch for the fifth time in fifteen seconds, "Come on Matt," she mumbled, "how long does it take to grab a grid map?"

He finally came out a few moments later with several folders tucked under his arm. "Sorry, I had to run a few outstanding warrants. Took longer than I thought."

"Warrants? On who?"

"Remember the reporters from the desk?"

"Yeah…" she replied slowly.

"25 unpaid parking tickets. They're booking them now."

She looked at him in disbelief, "They had 25 unpaid parking tickets?"

Matt looked at her ruefully. "They do now." 

Elisa shook her head slightly, "Please tell me Xanatos hasn't started to rub off on you…"

"Never happen Partner," He gave her a sly grin, "Besides, they had it coming for not getting all the facts straight," He tossed several files onto the seat next to him, "If it makes you feel better you can go in and clear it up right now…"

She gave him one her rare smiles and shook her head as she pulled out into traffic, "Naw, It will only take them a few hours to figure out it's a mistake… Who knows, maybe they'll impound their vehicle just for good measure…"

***** ***** *****

Matt stood in the elevator and looked over the ID card. "And you have no idea how or when he took the picture?"

"No," she replied as she took the ID back, "Ya know what irks me the most is him just 'assuming' all will be fine and dandy." 

"Well, you know what happens when you 'Assume'…" Matt paused and rubbed the back of his neck. He felt the elevator come to a stop, "Ya know, he didn't have to do what he did…"

Elisa cut him off as the door opened, "I know that, it's just… well… I just don't like the idea of the guys 'owing' him anything..."

"They owe me nothing, Detective." 

David Xanatos stood in front of her as she stepped out. He had either over heard the last portions of the conversation or knew her well enough to know she would be harboring these thoughts. Elisa wondered absently if the elevator was bugged and if so, how much of their conversation had he heard. She could see the sun was already beginning to set and began to move past him. Xanatos reached out to halt her movement and they stood there for a split second, eyes locked.

__

Betray them and I'll kill you myself, she thought.

Matt watched Xanatos jolt and pull his hand away as if Elisa had zapped him with a bolt of electricity. He quickly stepped over to where Xanatos stood and was about to inquire as to what the hell had just happened, but Elisa simply looked away and continued through the Great Hall.

Xanatos rubbed his hand absently and watched her move through the building._ Jesus!_ He thought, _If I didn't know better… _

"You OK, Mr. X?" Matt's voice cut through his contemplation, "You look… "

He turned to Matt as if nothing had just taken place, "I'm fine Detective Bluestone. If you will excuse me for a moment I have other matters to attend to." He turned and let left the room. Once he was clear of the Great Hall, he stopped to think about what just happened. 

For a split second David Xanatos thought he saw Elisa Maza's eyes... change… 

This was something he was going to have to think about.

He set off looking for Owen; perhaps he might have some insight. 

***** ***** *****

Elisa stood alone and watched as the sun slowly sunk to the city skyline. The wind was beginning to pick up slightly, but she didn't feel cold. She loved this time of the day. 

She felt rather than heard Matt walk up behind her. He was quiet for a moment, taking in the last light of the day. 

"How do you think they are going to take it?" he asked softly.

"Not well, I'm sure…" She paused, looking at the stone forms before them.

Matt surveyed the scene before him. There were seven still forms before him, but as the sun went down, the forms became… less still. The jumbled sounds of the city could be heard in the distance, but just above the din, there was a crackling sound, like paper being wadded up. He moved over to where Elisa was standing and watched in wonder. 

It was as if the air was charged with electricity. The crackling was getting louder, and suddenly there was a small controlled explosion. The roars were simultaneous and almost deafening as they came to life within moments of each other. With eyes blazing and mighty wings stretching out, the sky was almost obscured. The echoing roars were fading out, only to be replaced with the voices of Gargoyles… clearly happy to be awake and alive.

"Wow…" Matt said in a hushed voice.

"I never get tired of seeing it," was all Elisa said.

It didn't take long for the Clan to realize they had company and the trio of Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway were the first to reach them. All three were speaking at the same time, each reliving their own version of the events from the past few days. Angela approached next with Bronx and Hudson. 

"Good mornin' ta ya Lass," Hudson said reaching out to hug Elisa. His deep voice vibrated in the night air, "Tis good to see you again too, Lad." As he reached over to shake Matt's hand. 

Only one other stood off to the side, not quite ready to join the happy group, waiting patiently for the others to finish their welcomes. Goliath slowly approached his extended family and smiled, "Yes Matt, it is good to see you again. We thank you for all you have done for us. We are in your debt." 

Matt noted that while Goliath may have been talking to him, The Clan leader was looking at Elisa while he spoke. He looked away, embarrassed for a moment, but not really sure why, "It was nothing." He mumbled.

Elisa took this moment to interject, "Yeah well, don't be too glad to see us until you hear what we have to say." 

The Clan was suddenly all business. Even Bronx sat alert, waiting to hear what new they brought. Any news from the Human World eventually brought change, and possibly danger, to them.

"Matt and I had a meeting with Captain Chavez today and things are not looking good right now." She paused for a moment before continuing on, "As you know the Gargoyle Task Force has been established to find you guys and bring you to justice." 

She heard some quiet grumbling from the group and a soft curse she decided to ignore, despite the fact it was a sentiment she felt also. 

"The Mayor is serious about this. The GTF is now full time with about 20 people assigned to it," She took a deep breath before continuing, "and since I'm not going to have access to the information I use to have, Matt and I were thinking it might be a good idea if you all lay low… " 

The rest of her statements were lost in the uproar. 

Broadway's voice spoke over the volume of the others, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" 

Angela looked at him harshly for his choice of words, "Ahh sorry…" he said sheepishly, "I meant… What the hell is that supposed to mean…?" 

Angela elbowed him, clearly not happy with this choice of words either.

Elisa finally was able to finish what she was saying, "for awhile, at least until the heat is off." 

The entire group was now trying to talk over, at, and too each other, but no one was listening. Elisa could feel her head beginning to pound. She was about to yell out when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. 

__

Goliath. 

She tried to take strength from his closeness. 

His voice forced the other into silence, "Why would you not have access to police information?"

"I've been pulled from the task force, that makes Matt the full time GTF Commander." Elisa expected this news to be meet with a lot of questions instead there was only a shocked silence. It was actually becoming an uncomfortable silence.

Goliath was the first to speak, "Why have you been removed?" 

When Elisa failed to answer his question, his anger finally surfaced, "Once again, we are forced to hide when we have committed no crime! Are the police not concerned with finding the actual person responsible for these crimes?" 

It was the question they all wanted to ask.

"They are concerned with finding those responsible, and to answer your question, yes they have assigned someone for that very task." Elisa replied defensively.

She felt her momentum building and knew she wouldn't have a second chance to get all this out so she spoke quickly, "But right now the public is freaking out! That is what is driving this whole thing." She could feel the tension building and continued on, "Believe me, this was not my call or even Matt's. What does matter is that a lot of people are looking for you and you might not be safe, no matter where you are." 

She knew she avoided the real answer he was looking for, and the look he gave her made it clear that nothing she could have said would have been an acceptable answer anyway. Matt interjected before Goliath could debate the issue any further and for once Elisa was thankful for the interruption.

"Either way, we need to come up with a game plan." Matt took the files he'd taken from the station earlier and spread them out on a near by table, "Here are the grid areas we will be searching for the next few days. The Eyrie Building will be checked first since only the entire city saw Xanatos lift you out of St. Damien's Cathedral…" 

Lexington moved over to see the area Matt was looking at, "Well if they are coming here first we can't very well stay here…"

Matt was in agreement, "Right, so what we were thinking is…"

A voice spoke up from behind the group, "There is nothing to find if you cannot come in and look." 

No one had even realized Xanatos had come outside as he walked over with Owen behind him. "You can stay if I don't allow them to search my building and I believe I can keep the police out of here for a very, very, long time."

Of all people to speak on Xanatos behalf, Angela spoke up, "No, that will make it look like you have something to hide. You have to let them search, and when they find nothing, we can come back." She looked to the others for conformation of her statements, "Right?" 

Goliath nodded his head slowly not really sure he liked the direction the conversation was taking. Angela had not been a part of the Clan when they were compelled to leave the Castle before so she had no idea what it meant to be forced into leaving again, "There must be…"

Matt cut him off before he could finish, "Good it's settled, you all look at the maps and come up with a spot hole up in for a few days. In the mean time, Mr. X, you and I need to decide what the best course of action for searching you place…" 

"NO!" Goliath bellowed out, "We will not be driven from our home again!"

The others cringed and only Elisa stood her ground… they'd had this conversation before. She was about to speak when Hudson cut her off.

"Hear them out, Lad. There be more at stake this time," Hudson replied and made it a point to look at Xanatos as he spoke, "but this time, we know we be coming back."

Goliath took a deep breath, "Aye… Brooklyn, you and the others begin looking for a 'temporary' home for us. I do not wish to bring any further danger to our home nor it's…." He paused as if to say more, but the words seemed to escape him for the moment.

Matt and Xanatos turned to leave as the others moved to the Great Hall to begin working a plan. Owen Burnett stood off to the side quietly tapping away on a small portable computer pad leaving Elisa and Goliath essentially alone. 

"Would you now like to tell me what has happened?" Goliath asked, all traces of his earlier anger were gone. Now there was only the voice of concern, as if he knew she was leaving more out than she let on.

Elisa knew he submitted way to easy to the temporary relocation. In the two years she had know him, never once had she avoided looking him in the eye. Now she found herself unable to even lift her head to look at him. She rubbed her eyes and face "It's not what you think, Big Guy. It's just been a long day. I got no sleep today, had that stupid meeting with the Captain and the Mayor, and had a run in with two knuckleheads at the job…"

Goliath rumbled and Elisa took it as a bad sign. He'd always been over protective when it came to areas that might involve her. She remembered his reaction to Tony Dracon and that had been nothing… in comparison to what she was about to tell him, "I've been given a new assignment. I'll be...."

"What?" His voice echoed in the quite.

She finally looked up at him "Goliath, I've been put in charge of finding Jon Canmore…"

Goliath stood in silence, his face unreadable, but inside he felt as if all the air had been sucked from his lungs. Elisa had said 'finding' but Goliath knew what she really meant. 

She was going to hunt for The Hunter. 

Few people knew what really happened that night at the church, and he did not relish the thought of Elisa having to find him. Chances were if she did find him, she might very well find someone even more deadly. 

"That might prove to be dangerous." was all he could bring himself to say.

"It might..."

"Will they assign you another partner?" He didn't know why he asked the question, maybe because of what happened with the last partner.

"Goliath… I don't think…" Her voice trailed off as she started to turn away from him.

Goliath placed both talons on her shoulders effectively preventing her from completing the movement, "Tell me Elisa." He placed one claw on the side of her face, brushing the hair from her face, "Please…"

She paused before answering, choosing her words carefully, "I don't think…" she suddenly stood up a bit straighter, "I don't want anyone to work with me…not on this…"

The words came as a shock to Goliath. "But why…?" 

It suddenly dawned on him and the knowledge hit him even harder. Another partner might discover the Clan. Another partner might not be as willing as Matt to accept them. 

Another partner could turn out to be another Hunter. 

Elisa was unable to trust anyone because of the uncertainty involved and would be at risk because of them. Because of her relationship with the Clan; because of him, "What about Matt?" he questioned.

"Matt? Well… I don't know…I'd guess if he's not tied up with the GTF then yeah, he'll work with me, but in the mean time…" 

"Then I shall watch over you on your search."

Elisa cocked an eyebrow at him, "Goliath, your missing the point. If you're out flying around the city looking out for me, you'll be risking your own safety. Someone is bound to see you so that just isn't an option." This was the part of the conversation she knew was going to be rough, "Besides there's another thing…"

Goliath cut her off, "So you wish me to do nothing?" he cried out, "How can you even think of such a thing? I will not stand by while you risk your life looking for the man who attempted to destroy my Clan!" 

"Goliath! Listen to me," She took a deep breath and continued, "It might not be a bad idea if you stayed away from me for a while…"

That one statement was all it took to push Goliath's already fragile temper over the edge. Wings flew up, eyes blazed, and the roar was enough to almost deafen Elisa, and this time she did flinch. This was not how she planned on spending the few hours before her shift, arguing. She was surprised all the noise had not brought the others running. Maybe they were just being polite but Elisa had a feeling they knew better than to get involved in this discussion, "Big Guy, if something were to happen to you…" 

"And what am I to do if something happens to you?! The risks are equally great." his voice was rising and he had to steady himself against the shaking that threatened to over take him. 

The pain and emotion coming from his voice was overwhelming her, but she also knew she had to stand her ground… to keep them all safe… to keep him safe. "We have always known there were risks. My job, dealing with Xanatos, Demona, The Pack… Good Grief, your very existence! Everything about us is based on some type of risk…" 

"These are not risks you should be having to take."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she quickly snapped, "These things existed long before…" Goliath looked at her sternly, "OK, maybe they ALL didn't exist before, but I can't stop doing my job because you suddenly have a problem with it!"

Goliath continued on as if he hadn't heard a word she said, "Elisa, you cannot be put in the path of danger, and then not expect me to protect you. The risks you take are because of your connection to the Clan. It is a hazard I cannot ask, expect, or even allow you to undertake alone."

Elisa now angry beyond words. She couldn't remember if she'd ever been pissed off at Goliath but this was coming pretty close. While she understood why he was upset, she didn't understand why all this was coming out now. She looked at him long and hard before speaking. 

"What is your problem? We both know if the Hunter is running around out there, someone has to stop him. Regardless of whether it is you or me… wait it sec… yes it does matter… IT'S MY JOB!" she emphasized, "Give me one good reason why shouldn't it be me?" 

Goliath fought to calm himself down, "So much has been taken from us over the years and we are only now beginning to get parts of it back. We are back in our ancestral home, the clan lives on in Avalon, and we now know there are other clans all over the world… But above all of this I have been given a chance… for love… with you…My Love…" 

Elisa blinked as soon as she heard the words leave his mouth. For a slit second she couldn't see, hear, or even think. So shocked by the words, she actually took an involuntary step away from Goliath. Had he just said what she thought he said? _My Love? _ Elisa had only heard him use that term about one other…person, so to speak. She knew how she felt, but to hear the words from him for the first time … She felt like her heart was trying to pound it's way out of her chest.

"Yes… You. You are My Love…" He closed the gap between them, "I've been wanting to tell you for sometime and after last night…"

There was a loud hum in her ears and suddenly she couldn't hear. She shook her head in an attempt to clear her head, but it only caused the sounds to increase. Goliath moved to her with look of distress on his face. His look of anxiety was now causing her to panic. _What the hell…_ She stepped back to lean against one of the low ledges of the castle.

In a trembling voice she retorted, "No that's not good enough! I'm sorry Goliath, it's not that easy… " Her voice sounded muffled, as if her ears were filled with cotton. She felt as if she were yelling the words, and in fact, by this time, she was. She felt out of control as her eyes were began to water. _What the hell happening to me? _With the sound of thunder in her ears, Elisa did the one thing that made sense to her at the moment. 

She took off.

"ELISA!" he yelled after her but she was gone.

Goliath watched her as she left. What had just happened? Anguish overtook him and her roared into the night. His heart told him to go after her, take her in his arms and never allow her to leave him. His head told him to let her go. It was a tough battle, but his head won… this time. 

He turned his back and looked out over the city. A city he had sworn to protect. He would still protect it and it's inhabitance despite the fact it no longer wanted to protect him and he would protect Elisa whether she wanted it or not. He could not bear it if something were to happen to her. His claws were digging into the stones of the Castle wall. 

For the first time since he realized the depth of his feelings for Elisa, he felt alone.

He barely noticed Owen Burnett standing over in the corner, watching what had just taken place. Owen turned silently and walked back into the castle.

***** ***** *****

Elisa found Matt, Xanatos, and the others wrapping up the final details of their plan. They would be staying near the old cemetery since it was well outside the search area and fairly isolated. It had actually been Hudson idea since he and Goliath had spent a day there after one of the many Demona fiascoes. They would be relatively safe there during the day as long as they spread themselves out a bit.

Matt had already made the necessary arrangements to have the Eyrie Building 'searched'. Xanatos had called in a favor on Matt's behalf and got a judge to issue a search warrant for the building. The poor man thought Xanatos had lost his mind but issued it anyway. The GTF would search the place tomorrow afternoon around 4 PM, this way they would still be there after sunset and was more for the benefit of anyone who might know something about Gargoyle physiology. 

The only thing that really mattered was making the public believe Xanatos was not harboring the gargoyles. Fox even submitted her two cents worth by suggesting a press leak, deciding she might as well get a bit of free publicity at the same time. Owen, who had just returned to the room, said he would make the necessary arrangements. 

Elisa was trying to forget what had just happened outside. She was still a bit shaken and while she could hear again, her eyes still ached and her mouth felt like it had been stuffed with old gym socks. She checked her watch, it was almost 11 PM and she realized they had been at this for almost 5 hours, no wonder her body was freaking out. 

"Hey Matt, time to roll." She hollered out.

"Just a sec..." He called over to her. He turned to Brooklyn, who was reviewing a map with Hudson, "Everything looks good. The real test will be over the next few days." Brooklyn nodded in agreement as Matt moved over to where Lexington was tapping away on a computer. 

Elisa walked over to Brooklyn, "Are you guys going to be able to make it to the cemetery without being seen?"

"Sure, Hudson said the sewer comes out by there, so we can stop by the Labyrinth on the way and let Talon know what's up." He looked at her and smiled, "You were right, we do need to stay low for at least a few days…"

"Thanks," she said absently, "Tell Derek I said hello while you're down there and that Mom wants to have him over for dinner next week…" She felt her thoughts slipping into any details of the plan, looking for possible flaws… any possible danger…

Brooklyn knew what she was doing and put a reassuring claw on her shoulder, "Hey don't worry, we'll get thought this and then it will be life as usual."

She gave him a sarcastic smile, "Define usual…" 

Brooklyn grinned sheepishly back at her and shrugged his shoulders, "OK, usual for us…"

Elisa looked at the red gargoyle with renewed respect. He had grown up a lot over the past two years, and she was impressed. She knew he was trying to calm her fears and reassure her things would be fine and she hadn't realized how worried she truly was until just then. It wasn't just the possible threat to the Gargoyles. It all went beyond that. Even Matt was frustrated and Elisa couldn't blame him. He was in charge of a Task Force he knew would never find it's intended suspects… not if he could help it. 

Everything they were doing went against all they knew as cops, making it an uncomfortable situation for both of them. 

"I hope so…" She turned and began walking over to where Matt was standing by the elevators.

Brooklyn started to accompany them out, but then decided against it. What ever was plaguing her, she was going to have to work out for herself. He remembered how he felt after she, Goliath, and Bronx were missing for those many months. Responsibility for the lives others comes with a heavy price… 

He looked over at where Angela stood with Broadway and the others. 

No matter how much you might love them.

***** ***** *****

"So what do you think?" David Xanatos asked Owen.

Owen stood in front of a large monitor. They were reviewing a video feed from one of the outside surveillance cameras. It was set on a repeat loop and the same scene was playing over and over. On the screen, Elisa and Goliath stood arguing. The volume was muted but it didn't matter; he didn't need the sounds, he already knew what said. 

It was the footage itself that was interesting.

"Pause it right there!" He snapped and hesitated for a moment, realizing he'd just given his superior an order but Xanatos made no indication he'd taken offense to his tone. "Go back 2.3 seconds, and index forward for 5 seconds, Sir." His tone was all business now. Xanatos did as instructed, "Now loop that frame back." He stepped back as Xanatos joined him in front of the screen.

Both stood in the absolute quiet of Xanatos private office. On the screen Elisa was shaking her head. As Goliath approached she stepped away and looked up. Xanatos hit pause on the remote just as the image appeared and in that instant they both saw it. 

"Well?" Xanatos asked again.

Owen moved closer to the monitor and tapped it with a stone hand, "I have no idea, Sir…"

***** ***** *****

Hudson walked into the Great Hall to settle in for some TV. They still had a few hours before they needed to leave for the Labyrinth and he wanted to rest his weary bones_. I be getting to old for this_, he thought to himself. His head was aching slightly from all the planning as he sat down slowly in the overstuffed chair. Xanatos had gone though much trouble to have everything in the Great Hall returned to the same setup it was prior to their initial departure. It was a nice touch as far as he was concerned.

Bronx lay down by the side of the chair and grumbled as he gnawed on an old bone that he'd found someplace. Hudson half heartily looked for the remote for the TV and when he bent froward he saw Goliath standing near the ledge looking out over the city.

He thought it odd that he had not been there to see Elisa and Matt off. Something was wrong, he could sense it from Elisa as soon as she returned from speaking with Goliath. While it was not his place to question Goliath's actions, he felt a certain parental kinship to the lass. If something had happened between the two of them, it was best to get it worked out before things got any worse. Clouded judgement was no way to go into battle. He groaned again as he pushed himself up and walked outside. 

"Tis a beauty of a night isn't it." 

Goliath took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cool night air, "Yes, it is." They stood in silence for a few minutes before Goliath finally spoke, "What brings you out here tonight, old friend?"

"I could ask ye the same thing..."

Goliath looked over at Hudson, leave it to his old mentor to pick up on his moods. "I would ask a question of you my friend…"

"About what, Lad? What can I tell ye that ya don't know already?" When Goliath made no immediate comment, Hudson knew it had something to do with Elisa. Things had changed between the two since they had returned from Avalon, a closeness of sorts and Hudson was pleased with the arrangement, as it was far better than the alternative. "Has something changed between the two of ye?"

Goliath remained silent for a time. "I'm not sure…it might become… complicated…" he seemed to shift a bit uncomfortably as he spoke.

Hudson was puzzled, what was to be complicated? They obviously cared a great deal for each other so it should be simple. Then he realized this was not a typical relationship. He smiled at his friend, "Goliath, much has happened since we awoke in this new land. Those things we hold dearly are still a part of us… but we be in a new time, a new place. 'Tis not the same world we left…" 

Goliath pondered this, coming from Hudson, it was quite a shock. Hudson held fast to the old ways, but he was right, this was a new time and a new place, but were things really that different? "Perhaps it is not as different as we might think old friend…"

"Ye both shall figure it out, just give the lass some time to get used to it. Tis not an easy thing to love… least not as we do."

Goliath smiled to himself, _No old friend… it is easier…_

Hudson looked at him and felt a bit better than he had when he first walked out. He clapped his friend on the shoulder and began to walk back in to the Castle, but before he could get in Goliath called out to him, "Hudson, until we leave, the others will remain within the Castle walls… This is a dangerous time for us..."

Hudson nodded grimly, "Aye Lad, that it tis." He turned to find the others and pass the news long. "Tis dangerous time for us all…"

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	2. Choices

Choices

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

Yadda yadda yadda, I don't own them… no money in my pocket…. Just borrowing them…

Part 2 in my series

Hope you like and happy reading…

***** ***** *****

The following week went by like a blur. The search of the Eyrie building had gone well, and Xanatos had put up an acceptable amount of fuss, even going as far as to threaten a lawsuit for one unfortunate officer who had the misfortune to break a rare Chinese Vase. But the bottom line was nothing was found, the public seem satisfied for the moment, and Fox got in some face time with the press, who were, incidentally, the ones Matt had 'discovered' the outstanding parking tickets on.

Elisa saw the irony in that and wondered if Matt had notified them specifically just to make up for the impromptu arrest.

Xanatos sent word the Clan had returned home a few days ago and were all safe, sound, and accounted for. A bit restless from being cooped up in the Castle for the past few days, but no worse for wear. That made Elisa's days a little better and she felt as if an incredible weight had been lifted from her. 

The Clan might actually be safe….

She on the other hand was almost at the end of her rope. She had gone out to Riker's Island, and spoken with Robyn Canmore, who was polite but less than helpful. Yes she would protect the Gargoyles; no she would not help her find Jon. Elisa supposed it was a fair trade and couldn't have asked for much better than she got.

Jason Canmore was a bit more helpful. It was Elisa's second trip out to see him since he' been brought to the Medical Ward at the prison. He gave her a few leads, locations where she might find Jon but nothing firm. 

So far everything else had come up empty. 

Elisa toyed with the idea of putting Nightstone Unlimited under surveillance. There was nothing to tie 'Dominique Destine' to the search for Jon Canmore and she'd rather not get involved with anything that might cause Demona to show a sudden interest in her again.

Then again, if the Hunter came looking for the Hunted… It would be best to keep a personal, but cautious eye, on the building. She filled out the forms to get a vehicle for the next few weeks since hers was a bit too well know to use for a surveillance. 

She sighed heavily, as if she didn't enough on her plate without dragging an immortal gargoyle, with a very poor disposition, into the mix. 

Elisa stood against a wall looking over a report and absently checked her watch. It was only 3 AM. Normally she would be out on the streets, Protecting and Serving, but the last few days she'd been working almost round the clock, trying to figure out where the Hunter might be. She was getting the distinct feeling that Jon Canmore was not going to be found any time soon, and her feelings remained mixed on the matter. 

If his was found it could mean less of a threat to the Clan… at least from him. On the other hand he hadn't come forward with information about the Gargoyles either. Maybe if they left him alone, he would leave them alone.

It was a no win situation either way and Elias thought it sucked. 

She glanced at her watch again, 3:02. She rubbed her eyes; she was exhausted and the hours were catching up with her. She knew there was another reason for her dedication to her job as of late and was trying to rationalize it by saying she was protecting the Clan. The longer she spent at work the less of a reason she'd have to go to the Eyrie building. If she didn't go to the Eyrie building she wouldn't be of risk to the Clan; in the event someone was following her to discover the location of the Gargoyles. 

It was a lame excuse and she knew it.

She was, for all intents and purpose, trying to avoid Goliath.

The truth was she was unsure of how to deal with the change in her relationship with Goliath. She knew in her heart this was what she wanted, it had been her idea to kiss him, but could they really expect it to work… could they… she… deal with the differences? She checked her watch again, 3:04. This was getting her nowhere.

"I've been watching you do that for the past half hour Detective…" 

Elisa turned to the voice behind her. Captain Maria Chavez walked over to her, "You going to keep doing that every two minutes?"

"Sorry Captain, I guess my mind just isn't focusing right now."

"Anything new on the Canmore case?" she inquired.

Elisa handed her the case file she'd been flipping though, "As near as I can tell he hasn't left the country, found a new apartment, registered a car, filed for unemployment, or using any of his old aliases. I checked the news station he was working for, WVRN, they say he never even picked up his last check. They're holding it for him, but said they'd notify me if he comes to pick it up." She rubbed her eyes. "I have a few other interviews to finish…"

"And…?" Chavez asked.

"Well, I'm waiting on the judge to issue a freeze for the rest of the Canmore accounts, but so far nothing has been touched anyway. I have a few places under surveillance but will pull those if he doesn't show soon." 

Chavez handed her the case file back and nodded for her to continue.

Elisa stretched her arms over her head and tried to stifle a yawn. "I've talked with his family, they weren't very forthcoming with information that might send Brother Dearest to jail. Besides, he hasn't contacted either of them, and I doubt he will for a while. He knows if he does, the boys at Riker's will let us know." 

Captain Chavez nodded her head, "Sounds like you've got all the bases covered." She looked at Elisa hard for a few moments, the exhaustion was self evident, "Maza, you've been here for the past 8 days non-stop. You're burnt out. Go home, I don't want to see you back here for the next 72 hours. Have Morgan assign one of the patrols to finish the last of your interviews. I'll call you if something breaks."

"Captain you can't be serious?" she asked incredulously.

Captain Chavez was unmoved, "Don't make me give to an order Detective."

"I've got a ton of work on my desk!"

"Detective, do you even know where your desk is?"

Elisa stuttered for a moment looking around the precinct, "That's not the point…"

"I didn't think you did. Go home. I'll call about the bank freeze." 

Elisa made one last ditch effort to avoid being sent home, "But if anything…"

"Now it's an order… GO!"

Two minutes later, she was walking out as Matt was walking in, "Hey, where are you off to?" he asked as they stood on the front steps. 

The crowds had disappeared from the front of the building over the past few days. Generally once the once the sun went down, they were gone all together. Apparently picketing was only popular during the daylight hours, which lead Elisa to believe that even the fanatics needed their beauty sleep.

"Chavez kicked me out." She replied sullenly.

"Really?" he was mocking her now. "Why? Choke another reporter with his necktie again?" 

"No… I couldn't find my desk."

"Couldn't find your desk!?! Hell, I didn't even know you had a desk…" he smirked, "Damn, if I had known that was how to get a day off…"

"Ha ha. What have you got?" 

"Nothing really, a lot of false calls and paranoid people out there, even for my tastes. This new group calling themselves 'The Quarrymen' might become a problem. I might have a lead on their leader, but I won't know for a day or two. They're holding 'Anti-Gargoyle' rallies all over town…" He stretched his arms wide, "At least no one has managed to shot a spouse thinking it was the 'Boogie Man'." 

Elisa realized the irony of the situation, he was doing a better job of not finding his suspects than she was of finding hers. He was looking for a group that shouldn't exist but did; she was looking for a person who should exist but suddenly didn't.

"You on your way home?" He asked.

"Yeah…"

He was surprised by her words since she had not been to the Eyrie building since their last visit together. The Clan had been home for several days and Elisa had spent no time with them and that was unheard of as far as he was concerned. Since they had become partners, and she finally let him in on the Big Secret, he could remember few days when she had NOT seen them, "OK, what gives?" he asked. It wasn't so much of a question as it was a request. 

"Matt you have no idea what you are asking."

"Your right. I don't. So you had better tell me now and save me the trouble of jumping to all the wrong conclusions… again."

She finally caved, "Buy you a cup of coffee, Partner?"

"Naw, I'll buy you one."

***** ***** *****

It was going on 5 AM and they had been sitting in the booth for almost two hours. The waitress had long sense given up on the pair; it was obvious they were not there for the apple pie. She'd left a pot of coffee on the table, and chatted quietly with the few patrons of the Café who were not currently nursing hangovers.

Elisa had done most of the talking, with Matt asking a few questions to clear up the details he didn't quite understand, which were a lot less than she expected, considering she'd given him a slightly edited version of recent events. Finally she grew silent and just looked into her coffee cup.

"So all this is because of an argument?" he finally said. He got the idea there was more to the story than she was letting on.

"It's more than that..."

__

I knew it he thought, "How much more? Come on your not gonna shock me any more than you already have."

"Don't be too sure about that… That night… after Xanatos picked them up…" she leaned back in the booth, tipping her head back against the wall, and whispered, "Things have kinda changed between me and Goliath..."

Matt sat in silence; he had no idea what she was saying. Then the light clicked on and he understood what she was implying. He also realized he was wrong, she DID shock him, "Your kidding?" he shook off the remark, "Sorry, of course your not…" It was now his turn to lean back, "Wow…"

"Yeah…"

"Do you… What are you gonna do?"

She was about to answer and realized she didn't have one, "I don't know… I still have a lot of thinking to do. I do know this, if I don't get some sleep I'm gonna drop." She got up, dropping a few bills on the table, "I guess I have the next 72 hours to figure it out." 

They walked out into the cool early morning air, "You need a ride back to the station?" she asked.

"Naw, think I'll walk, we're only around the corner. I got some paperwork to file then I'm going home." 

She fished her keys out of her pocket, her fingers brushing the photo ID as she did, "Well… call me if anything comes up. See you in a few days." She climbed into the Fairlane and drove off.

Matt stood on the sidewalk watching until her taillights merged in with the rest of the predawn traffic. He turned and walked slowly up the street, his mind reeling from what she told him.

He never noticed the shadow on the rooftop across the street come to life. It paused for a moment, ever watchful, then flew off in the same direction the Fairlane had taken.

***** ***** *****

Elisa stood in the shower until the hot water finally gave out. She was tired, exhausted, and felt like she'd been up for a year. Stepping out of the tub, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her head and moved to the bedroom for her robe before moving into the living room. 

She'd been unable to fall asleep once she got home and thought the shower might help, but it hadn't. Not only was she exhausted, but she was now shriveled up like a prune. She finished drying her hair, tossing the towel on the back of the couch and walked over to the window to watch the sun rise, "I never should have drank all that coffee." she murmured.

"You're right about that one."

She saw the shadow, just as she heard the voice, but it still made her jump. Instinctively she dove behind the couch for cover and reached for her weapon, forgetting for the moment she was wearing a robe and not her holster, "Who's there!?" she yelled. 

The voice taunted her, "You gonna shot me with your finger Copper?" 

"Move out where I can see you."

The shadow moved slowly forward. Elisa slowly stood up as the figure came into the light and suddenly ran towards it throwing her arms around the intruder, crying out as she did, "YOU!"

Derek Maza smiled as his sister jumped into his arms. It was indeed good to see family again.

***** ***** *****

Derek had waited outside the window until he saw her enter the apartment and then let himself in once the coast was clear. They stood just holding each other for the longest time. He held his older sister as she cried, it wasn't quite the welcome he had expected since he could count the number of times he'd seen his sister cry on one hand, but the upside was she didn't shoot him. 

Finally her tears subsided and she pulled back from him, "What are you doing here?"

__

I could ask you the same question he thought but didn't say the words, now was not the time. "Can't a guy come to visit his big sis without getting the third degree?"

"Sorry, it's the detective in me…" She led him into the living room and away from the windows, wiping the last of tears as she did so. She sat down next to him on the couch, still holding his talon hand. "How have you been?"

Elisa seemed to be comforted just by holding his 'hand', which relieved some of his earlier tension, and even Derek was unwilling to break the contact. To her, he would always be her annoying kid brother not Talon; Leader of the Mutants. 

"Doing good," He replied, " We've been keeping a full house down in the Labyrinth for the last few months. You should really come by and see the place," he smirked, "Maggie has done wonders. We're thinking of having new drapes and carpet installed."

Elisa smiled at her brother, despite all the changes he'd gone though, physically and mentally, he still had a sharp sense of humor. "How are the others…" she couldn't bring herself to ask about 'them'.

Derek smiled and said it for her, "The Clones…They are all fine. It's not as weird as you might think having them around. They are talking and communicating better than when they first came down." His look became a bit serious, "You really should stop by."

Elisa said nothing, so Derek continued, "You know, they are nothing like what you might think. Delilah is nothing like you or Demo…" he paused, seeing Elisa bristle at the name he almost spoke, "Anyway, she's seems more like Beth… you know… when she was a kid." 

Elisa nodded slowly, lost in her own thoughts. Suddenly she jumped up, "Hey, are you hungry? I could whip you up some breakfast. You want some eggs?"

Derek knew what she was trying to do and was about to stop her when he had a sudden change of heart, "Do you have any Captain Crunch?"

***** ***** *****

They ate in silence, Elisa marveled at her brother's appetite, "Do you want to finish the box?"

He smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, it's been a while since I've had cereal."

For the first time, Elisa saw him as 'Talon'. It didn't make her love him any less, but it did bring back some old pains. She felt the tears beginning to well up again and wiped her eyes furiously. Derek moved to her, "Hey, don't do that…"

The past few days had finally taken their toll. "Derek, how do you do it? How do you get past it all?"

He knew this was coming and actually it gave him the opening he was hoping for. A method to discuss the other reason behind his visit, "The truth… well I rely on the others, we're a family." He paused before continuing, "And I have Maggie."

She stood and walked over to the couch where they sat before, wiping her eyes angrily, "This is more than a social visit isn't it?"

He walked up behind her, "Yes and no. I have missed you and I did want to check up on you. You've been spending way too much time at work and I was worried after that thing at the clock tower… and I'm also here as a favor…"

She turned quickly to face him and what should have been a question, came out as aggravation, "Goliath sent you?" 

He held his arms up in a defensive manner, "When they went to the cemetery. When he told me about Canmore I lost it… He's just trying to look out for you…" Derek continued on, "Elisa, you can be so damn stubborn sometimes…"

Now the anger showed, "I'm stubborn? Get real Derek! What the hell did the two of you think you were doing? You know they are looking for flying creatures all over the city and Goliath sent you, of all people, to look out for me? I think that maybe the both of you have lost it. Did you just not think Derek? What if someone had seen you?" she was shaking.

"This is different, Sis…"

"Oh yeah? How do you figure?"

"I don't turn to stone during the day." He could see she was unmoved by his current argument so he decided to change tactics. "Besides," He moved over to where she stood, "you haven't seen me watching you for the past few days."

"You are missing the point!"

He cut her off, "No, I think you are." She slumped down to the couch, her head in her hands. Derek watched her for a moment before he finally spoke again, "Listen to me, whatever you are going through, you don't have to go through it alone." 

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

She looked sharply at her bother, "I can't risk something happening to him…" 

"Why Elisa? Why do you think you have to do this without any…"

"Because he loves me, Derek!" Her eyes suddenly widened in shock. She hadn't meant to say anything.

__

Now we're getting somewhere he thought. "OK and this surprises you because…?" He sat next to her, "Even a blind man could see that. Hell, I knew it as soon as I saw the two of you together at Xanadu…" Elisa looked at him dumbstruck as he smiled back at her. "Jesus, Elisa. I think you need to come to grips."

"It's harder than you think…"

"Not really… Do you love him?"

Elisa was quiet. She wanted to tell him yes with all her heart. She suddenly had a flash to a conversation she'd had with Jason Canmore… _It's complicated_… 

Derek rested a hand on hers. When she failed to say anything, he squeezed her hand slightly, "You need to talk to him."

"Yeah…I know…" 

***** ***** *****

Brooklyn sat in the castle. He could not believe how bored he was. He'd grown tired of watching Lex play on the computer and Angela and Broadway were off watching TV in the Great Hall with Hudson and Bronx. He'd asked Goliath earlier about setting up some small short patrols but he wouldn't hear of it. If things didn't change soon, they would all be getting cabin fever. He looked out the window, hoping for anything to act as a diversion. He scanned the city skyline, and caught site of a flying form approaching the Castle. His first reaction was alarm, but as the form grew closer a smile crossed his face. 

He walked over to the edge and waited for the mutant leader to land. "Talon, what brings you out?" he was just happy to be talking to someone new.

"Hey Brook, what's up?"

"Nothing. Please tell me you've brought news from the outside world… anything... I don't care how stupid or pointless it is."

Derek capped his wings and glanced in the direction of the Great Hall, "I have something… of sorts…"

"Great, I'll go get Goliath…"

Derek stopped him, "No not yet. I need to ask you something first…"

Before he could ask his question, a voice sounded from behind them, "Greetings, Talon." 

Both of them spun around to face Goliath, and Derek wondered if it was possible to look embarrassed through his covering of fur, "Ahh, Hi…"

If Brooklyn didn't know better he'd have sworn Derek looked embarrassed. Goliath continued over to them, "What news have you brought?"

Derek composed himself and turned to face Goliath, "We need to talk..." From the tone of his voice, Brooklyn decided he had better things to be doing right then and quickly left.

"What is it, Talon? Is everything all right?" 

Derek knew Goliath wasn't concerned about 'everything', he was concerned about Elisa. "Everything is… Elisa is fine… she just needs sometime… Alone…"

Goliath looked crestfallen. He took a deep breath before asking his next question, "Why?" 

"Goliath, give her some room. She'll let you know when she's ready." He tuned to leave, "Look…she hasn't always had the best of luck with guys…"

Goliath was confused by the statement, "Talon, she has become my life… Surely you must realize I would never hurt her."

"You aren't the one I'm worried about."

Goliath's eyes narrowed, "You're worried about her…"

"Yeah, and for good reason. With all she's been through… she's on the on the edge right now."

Goliath felt his frustration rising, "All the more reason I should be there for her…"

Derek picked his next words carefully, "She wants to cut herself off from everything… and I think that includes you for the time being…" 

Goliath's eyes flashed with white-hot anger. Not quite understanding what the words he was hearing, he fought to control the anguish building within him, "Derek… My only wish is to keep her safe."

It was one of the few times since his transformation someone outside his family had used his given name. While he was touched by the gesture, he still couldn't tell him what he didn't know. "Yeah, well… she is my sister. I have to protect her too." he placed much emphasis in the word 'protect' as if meant more than just protecting. 

He sighed heavily, "Goliath, have some patience." He paused before leaping out into the night. "You're gonna have to give her a chance to figure it for herself. She'll let you know when she's ready…" With that said he flew off into the night.

Goliath watched as he departed. He felt bewildered by his conversation with Talon... No… he was Derek.

It was as if he'd lost everything all over. He knew he loved Elisa, more than life itself. The feelings he had for her were more than he'd ever felt for anyone, including Demona. 

He thought about going over just to check on her but decided against it. If he could not protect Elisa, then he would ensure the city was safe for her. He knew the others needed to get out of the castle as well. He turned and walked into the Great Hall, looking for Brooklyn. It was time to live in their city again. If Elisa had cut herself off from the outside world, then he would abide by her decision and wait for her to come it him. 

He refused to acknowledge the thought that she might not come back.

***** ***** *****

Elisa stood on the balcony of her apartment feeling drained and exhausted. She felt like she'd gotten too much sleep, but her body obviously thought it needed it, so who was she to argue? She'd gone to bed just after Derek left and slept through the entire day and into the next. She looked out over the afternoon sky and wondered absently if Goliath dreamed while in the Stone Sleep.

Her thoughts were jumbled and her mind was racing. She walked back into the apartment and sat on the couch. Cagney jumped into her lap, demanding her attention. She stroked the cat absently and wondered why she was suddenly having misgivings about Goliath. She had finally found the courage to give into her feelings, and he had responded exactly the way she'd hoped.

Maybe that was the problem.

He was not the most brilliant entity on the planet but he was thoughtful and intelligent being; firm but caring. He was often naive and often thought with his heart rather than his head. But he was also devoted to the Clan as their leader. He would die to protect them. She knew his dedication of preserving the 'Gargoyle Way' was a major factor for him in this New World, and perhaps this was what troubled her so much. 

She wasn't a gargoyle and he was. 

On the other hand, his last love was a gargoyle and she saw how well that had worked out.

His Angel of the Night… They had rarely spoken of his past life with Demona, and she knew the woman for all her manipulations still loved Goliath. Elisa also knew anything concerning Demona was a sore subject for Goliath, but for some reason she couldn't put the thoughts of the two of them together out of her head. 

She reached over to the coffee table, trying to reach the remote without disturbing the cat from his perch. She finally grabbed it and turned on the TV, hoping to find some diversion for the rest of the afternoon, but nothing captured her attention for any length of time and her thoughts kept drifting back to Goliath.

She shifted around on couch, lying back with Cagney sitting on her chest. She watched the feline as he cleaned himself, "I don't know cat, is there is a possibility for me and Goliath?" 

He looked at her with about as uncaring look as a cat could have, "Thanks, you're a big help…"

Elisa glanced over at the clock, it was just after 2 in the afternoon. She picked up Cagney and dropped him to the floor and shut off the TV. She stood up and went into the bedroom, stripped out of her bedclothes and jumped into the shower. 

She knew needed to talk to him, but wasn't sure how to approach the subject. Goliath knew her better than anyone ever had and she was fairly certain she'd seen a part of him that he revealed to very few. She'd never been more certain about anyone before in her life but she needed some answers.

And only Goliath had them, so it was time to find out how far this relationship could go. 

***** ***** *****

Elisa flashed her pass to the guard on duty and he nodded at her without even really looking at it. He knew who she was and knew better than to even act like he might question why she was there. If Mr. Xanatos wanted a cop to have unrestricted access to his building, then who was he to stop her?

She walked to the elevator and inserted the key into the bypass for the upper floors. The ride took less than a minute and when doors opened Owen Burnett immediately met her. 

"What brings you here this early Detective? The gargoyles will not awaken for several hours…"

Elisa walked in and looked about the massive building. It was strange being here in the middle of the day and she was trying to think of a time when she had. She pushed the thought back for the time being, "Owen I need you to do something for me."

"Really..." Owen raised an eyebrow slightly, 'And what would that be?"

She pulled an envelope out of her pocket, "Will you give this to Goliath when he wakes up?"

Owen took it and examined it for a moment, "Of course."

Elisa looked at the man with a certain degree of concern, "I'm trusting you to give it to him…"

"You have my word." 

She gave him a strange look but seemed satisfied with the answer, "Thanks…" She turned and pressed the call button for the elevator. When it arrived, she stepped in and turned to look back at him, "I have your word, Owen. Don't make me regret it…" 

The doors closed and Owen turned to walk into David Xanasto's office, "Detective Maza was just here Sir."

Xanatos looked over at his right hand man, "I noticed… What did she want?"

"She has a message for Goliath." 

He handed him the envelope. Xanatos looked it over, "It's sealed…"

"Yes Sir, she gave express instructions that it be delivered to him when he awoke…"

Xanatos seemed to ponder the request, and ultimately handed it back to Owen, "Well then… You'd better see that he gets it…"

Owen cocked an eyebrow at his employer, "Sir?"

"I have to admit my curiosity is peaked but under the circumstances… See that he gets the message intact, Owen …" Xanatos turned his chair so he could look out over the city, "After all you did give her your word…" Owen nodded slightly and left the room to attend to his other duties.

Xanatos continued to look out over the city with his hand clasped behind his back.

This concept of establishing trust was going to be harder than he thought.

***** ***** *****

Sunset brought the sound of crackling stone, and the roar of an awakening. Brooklyn, seeing Goliath was lost in thought, quickly gathered the others to begin patrol routes. 

Hudson looked over to Goliath, he stood alone, a shadow against the skyline. He walked over to him, and they stood quietly, listening to the sound of the city below. They had not yet spoken of Elisa for several days and he knew it weighted heavy on his mind, "Once again… she is not here to welcome us…" 

He had said 'us' but Hudson knew he meant 'me', "Give it some time, Lad..."

Goliath looked at his mentor, a heavy sigh escaped his lips, "I should join the others on patrol…"

Owen walked out just as Goliath was about to depart, "Just a moment Goliath…"

Hudson looked at the man with a twinge of distaste, "What ya be wantin' trickster?"

If the statement upset Owen, he gave no indication of it, "I have a message for you…"

Goliath grumbled softly, "I have no time for this. Tell Xanatos I will speak to him when I return…" 

The even-tempered man walked over with a bemused grin on his face and handed the envelope to the gargoyle, "I think you'll want to deal with this now…"

Goliath pondered the message. The envelope was sealed and his name was written in precise writing that he recognized immediately. He tore open the letter and quickly scanned the note. 

__

Need to talk

Please come

The note was signed with a single letter. E. Goliath felt a surge of warmth spread though him. He felt his heart swell and found himself helpless stop the smile from forming on his lips.

Hudson looked at his young friend, "I think the others can handle it for one night with out ya…" 

Goliath spun around, "Meaning?"

"If the lass wants to see ya, I wouldn't keep her waiting if I were…" 

The last words were spoken to no one. Goliath took off as soon as he heard Hudson tell him not to keep her waiting. Hudson stretched his wings and prepared to head into the Great Hall, perhaps there would be something good on the TV.

"Come Bronx, let us see what we can find for ourselves."

***** ***** *****

Elisa paced back and forth in her apartment. She walked out on to the balcony and scanned the skyline, looking for any sign of him. Nothing so far, but it was still early. She checked her watch, it was only just after 6. Walking back inside she surveyed the room.

She lit a candle, then blew it out. She dimmed the lights, only to turn them back up again. She closed the balcony door, opened it two seconds later, only to go back and close it again. Walking back over to the dimmer switch, she turned the lights down once again. She was getting nervous. Afraid he wouldn't show…afraid he would. 

She walked over to open the balcony door once again. Turning back into the living room, she finally sat down on the couch… only to jump up again to start pacing again. The annoying buzzing in her ears had returned. If it didn't stop soon she was going to have to see a doctor about it.

***** ***** *****

Goliath stood on the balcony looking at her. The door was open but he hesitated to walk in since she apparently hadn't heard him land. He remembered the last time he looked in though a window at her. 

Jason Canmore had been there. He shook his head to clear the vision that threatened to come into his mind. That was a different time, a different… 

He looked over at her again. She was truly beautiful. He felt a pang in his heart. He knew, and could even feel the turmoil building in her. He wondered absently when they had become so closely linked. _Elisa, _he thought to himself.

Just as he had the though, she turned around to see him standing there. For a moment Goliath though she must have somehow heard his thoughts. They both stood there transfixed each just looking at the other. It was Elisa who broke the silence, "I wasn't sure you'd come…"

They both began moving to each other at the same time. She walking around the couch, he walking through the open door. She had a whole speech lined out, one she'd been running through all day in her mind. Now nothing would come into her mind but the very simple sounding words of, "I'm glad you did…"

"I would never stay away…"

"Goliath…" she paused for a moment to collect her thoughts again, "You want to sit down?" she asked. 

Goliath was about to decline, but changed his mind and sat down, "Elisa," he began, "We have much to talk about."

"Yeah we do…but let me ask you something…Gargoyles mate for life, right?"

He paused, wondering where she was going with the conversation. "That is true, we do mate for life… but…" he never got to complete the sentence because she cut him off.

"And Demona was your mate." It was supposed to be a question, but she realized belatedly that it came off as a statement. 

Goliath was stunned into silence. It was the last thing he ever expected to hear from her, and it took him a moment to collect his brain enough to answer her, "No…Yes… Wait…Elisa, what makes you ask about this?" 

She raised an eye at him, hands resting on her hips, clearly indicating she wanted an answer not a question. Shaking his head, "Yes…Yes there was a time… He rose from the floor and moved towards her, he could feel her pain and it was becoming unbearable. 

That was all it took for conformation in her mind, "She was… No…still is your mate then?" The detective part of her was surfacing, her voice rising was in a panic her heart was already feeling.

If this was why Elisa had cut herself off from him, Goliath now knew where all this was leading. He also knew he had a great deal of explaining to do… on several counts. Mentally he kicked himself for not having this conversation with her earlier… much earlier. It might have cleared up a few things and made it unnecessary for her to guess at answers she should have gotten from him. "Elisa, that time is…"

She cut him off, not wanting to hear the rest, "Well then that settles it, Goliath. If you're 'promised' or 'mated' to someone else then there is nothing more to discuss. We go back to being just friends. End of story." 

Mentally she knew she was using this as an excuse to not have to deal with the real emotions, but she couldn't stop herself_, Boy, nice going Maza. _If he did want a relationship with her, she'd just blown any chance of it happening now. The buzzing was now in full force, blocking out all sound.

"Elisa, I think I should explain something… something you might not realize…"

She wasn't hearing him, she paced the room clinching and releasing her hands, and yelling out, "Holy shit! The two of you have a kid together." She felt herself slipping out of control, "Christ no wonder she hates me so much, she's thinking I'm trying to steal her husband and her family away!" 

"Elisa, please, think about what you are saying."

Suddenly her frustration had a focus, "Damn it, Goliath! Why didn't you say something before?"

It was now Goliath's turn to go on the offensive, but it was becoming more obvious that she wasn't listening to him anyway. He did his best to keep his voice level, "I'm trying to explain…" 

Once again she cut him off, "What is there to explain? You tell me you love me but then I find out there is no chance for us because you're already… committed… married…" she was struggling to find the word she was looking for.

"Mated."

"Whatever!" she yelled out in anger and also so she could hear herself. His voice was distant in her ears, the buzzing had increased, and it was really becoming troublesome. She threw her arms up in irritation and moved to the couch and sat down, "Goliath… we can't be together and you know that!"

"ELISA! Stop it now!" he finally yelled, causing her to jump back up. The buzzing suddenly broke and for the first time she actually focused on him.

"Will you listen to me now?!" She stood there looking defiant, but he knew he now had her attention, "Sit down." He said and was not surprised when she remained standing, "Elisa, please…" 

She did finally sit, looking down at the floor. Goliath stood off to the side and began to speak.

"What I told you before is true, Gargoyles do mate for life. It is a commitment that goes beyond everything else and to go against that is to betray much of what the Clan stands for. I was raised with the values of the Clan and swore it was something I would never go against…" 

Elisa remained quiet as he spoke. It took him a few moments to collect his thoughts about his former love enough to continue.

"I was the first born, but I cannot remember a time when we were not together." He paused and took a ragged breath, "When I first lay eyes on her…" he stumbled slightly over the words, but continued, "There is much you must know, that I need you to understand, Elisa. She was not the same creature she has become."

Elisa looked at him though the dark. She could feel her heart breaking even further as she listened to his words, if he continued, she wasn't sure how much more she could stand to listen to… but she wanted… needed… to know, "Tell me." She voiced gently.

"One night when we were young, I told her if I ever became a Leader, I would make her my second in command. I doubt she ever forgot, but looking back now I know what she really wanted to do was lead, and that was not going to happen for her. Hudson took me under his wing, and I think he knew all along one day I would lead the clan. At the time I could think of no one else I wanted at my side more than My Angel of the Night."

Elisa flinched at the words and Goliath desperately wanted to reach out to her then but didn't dare. _Not yet_ he told himself. He could see her outline in the shadows, still listening to his words, "I think The Bonding may have been part of the reason she began to change."

Elisa looked puzzled, "The Bonding…?"

Goliath nodded in the dark, "It is the connection that allows us to be Clan. It is a way of reaching out and touching the very soul of another. It is strongest between mates, but it also occurs on a different level between rookery brothers and sisters. It is a connection..." 

He paused to collect his thoughts before continuing on, "Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway bonded as hatchlings, Hudson and I as brothers in arms. There is a bond between Angela and myself, though it has taken time for me to acknowledge that one. It is the first time we as Gargoyles have acknowledged our offspring. We have bonded as a Clan, and that is what makes us stronger."

"You've never spoken of it…"

"No... Most just expect it to happen between mates, and I believe for many it does."

"But that wasn't the case for you…" she guessed.

Goliath nodded and continued, "Much later, the two of us attended Prince Malcolm's wedding to Princess Elena. We watched the ceremony from the window ledge, and exchanged our own vows of love by breaking the Phoenix Gate in half, each keeping half as a token of our love. That was as close as I came to bonding…

"Then came the Breeding Season. Females become fertile every 20 years, and lay only one egg. It takes 10 years for the eggs to hatch…"

Elisa nodded in the dark, knowing he could see her better than she could see him, "I remember talking about that once before… when we were on Avalon…" 

"Then you understand the undertaking that goes into clan survival. The commitment it takes. It is a tremendous responsibility and one that must be done collectively. If one was to so blindly violate that trust…" 

Elisa nodded in understanding. Survival was vital to the clan and if they could not trust in each other then there was no point. 

Goliath allowed his voice to fall to almost a whisper, "We only had the one season…"

"Angela." She finished the statement for him.

"Yes, but I didn't know..." 

"OK, you never bonded… what's the big deal? You loved her." The words felt foreign and misplaced in her mind as soon as she said them. 

"No one knew… After the eggs were laid, I said nothing. I loved her despite it and thought our commitment would be strong enough without it." Goliath took a deep breath, "When we awoke here, I assumed she had perished with the rest of the clan. When I found her alive, I was so relieved others from our clan did indeed survive, I didn't think anything else would matter. But she had changed… She was no longer the same as I remembered…"

Elisa was intrigued and found herself leaning forward even further, "How so?"

"So hungry for power was she… it didn't matter to her what might become of the others…" He was quite for so long Elisa didn't think he was going to continue. When he finally did, his voice was so soft she had to strain to hear him, "It was Demona who betrayed the clan to the Vikings who sacked the Castle."

Elisa sucked in a breath, "What?" This was a part of the stories she hadn't heard.

"She betrayed the Clan." He looked at her with tears brimming in his eyes, "In this New World… Banishment was the only punishment I could impose, and with that banishment all ties to the Clan were broken." He looked at her, "But there are other reasons… why those ties were broken." 

She was shaken from her thoughts and asked absently, "What reasons?" 

His voice sounded distant in her ears. "Because, I now understand that I have bonded…" He walked over to her slowly, as if approaching an animal he didn't want to frighten. Slowly he took her hand and pulled her to him. 

She began to tense at his touch and whispered, "But, how do you… how can you be sure…"

He silenced her with a talon to her lips, "I will show you…" 

Slowly she came to him. _He's going to kiss me_ she thought. He didn't tilt her head up to his as she had expected. Instead, he wrapped his wings in a protective cape around her. Sheltering her from the outside world; protecting her. 

Bringing her even closer to him, Goliath could feel the beating of her heart and it warmed him. He felt her arms shift around him and for one horrifying moment, he thought she was pulling away from him. Then he felt her hands on his chest. He felt her relax, slowly at first, then gradually more. The longer he held her the more she relaxed. 

He felt her breath on his skin, and it took a few moments for him to realize she was speaking quietly. He could feel her whispering his name over and over, against his chest.

Nothing had ever felt more right to him in his life.

***** ***** *****

Elisa was unsure how long they stood like that. In fact she wasn't entirely certain she hadn't fallen asleep for a few minutes, that was how comfortable she was. She took in deep breaths, trying to capture his sent in her mind. It was a mixture of stone and leather, but there was something else, something distinctly… him. Pressing her head to his chest, she could hear the strange beat of his heart and the sounds of his breathing. It was like holding magic in the palm of her hand and knowing exactly how the trick was done. She looked up to see Goliath looking down at her.

He smiled back at her and felt, if the fates would allow it, he could hold this woman forever. Slowly he uncapped his wings to allow her to step away from him. When she didn't move away, it made his heart swell. He placed his arms around her. 

Because of their close proximity to each other he was still able to feel her heartbeat against his skin. A strand of hair fell into her eyes and as he raised a hand to brush it away, and in the process, his talon softly caressed her cheek. He noticed the slight increase in her heartbeat and realized the reason for the changes in her body was because of him. Now it was her turn to smile, "Hi Big Guy…" 

Slowly he dropped to the floor, pulling her with him. He shifted around so she could curl up at his side, her head resting on his shoulder and his wings wrapped around them. She was silent and he was content to just hold her… there was no need for words now.

They spent the rest of the night wrapped up in each other's embrace. Taking pleasure in just being together. 

Elisa barely noticed the buzzing had returned in her ears. 

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	3. Filling in the Gaps

Filling in the Gaps

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

Part Three

Still not mine… still no money…

Hope you like and happy reading…

***** ***** *****

She met him on the balcony and practically jumped into Goliath's arms as he landed. When he'd left that morning just before dawn, he felt as if a part of himself was being torn away. It was as if they had been apart for years instead of only hours. She took him by the hand and led him into what he now thought of as their sanctuary.

They sat on the floor, kissing softly, exploring the new path they were embarking on. 

For Goliath it was still a new experience. He'd never had much of an occasion to kiss, but he'd grown to realize it was a large part of human interaction. He also realized it was an extremely pleasant thing to take part in, and he wondered why Gargoyles had never picked up on it. 

For Elisa it was much like walking on air. Never before had she felt this was about another. She wanted him always and felt it in the depths of her soul and it warmed her immensely, and although she was having trouble expressing it in words, Goliath was patient. She could feel his arms tightening around her pulling her closer as if to blend then into one being. She paused momentarily to catch her breath. "Jalapeno…" she murmured between kisses.

"Indeed."

Elisa laughed, "For someone who says 'he's had little experience in the ways of humans,' you sure are a quick study."

"I have a good teacher…" his voice grumbled in the darkness. He felt Elisa shift around and begin to untangle herself from their embrace. "Where are you going?" he tugged teasingly at her.

She smiled, "I was just going to suggest we might want to slow this down a bit. Besides I wanted to check in at work." 

He looked at her with such a look of love and affection, she felt her heart skip a beat. When the sudden look of alarm came across his face, she recognized that he'd felt the change within her as well. She looked at him in wonder. "You actually felt that?"

"Yes, I suppose I did."

"How is that possible?" she inquired.

"I believe it to be a part of the Bonding. It tends to effect those when they are in close contact with each other. I remember seeing it between Hudson and his mate when I was young. It will grow stronger over time." 

Elisa rose from the floor and moved to the window. She'd wrapped her arms around herself, as if giving herself a hug. Goliath followed, stopping just behind her. "What troubles you, Elisa?" He stepped a bit closer and as he did, she leaned back into him.

"Nothing..."

Goliath thought he understood. In a few hours she would again resume her search for Jon Canmore, The Hunter. If she did find him there might be very little Goliath could do to protect her. He in turn would resume his patrols of the city; a city that had turned against them. 

A city that might very well destroy him… and his Clan.

Elisa shivered, as if in reaction to the thoughts Goliath held in his head. He wrapped his wings tenderly about her, pulling her closer so that she might draw strength from his presence. "What ever happens, you and I are one…" She was still tense despite his reassurances and it occurred to him there might be more to her apprehension than she was telling him. 

"What truly troubles you?" he asked quietly,

"Goliath, when did you know?" 

Although she didn't ask directly, he now knew what she was asking. He took a deep breath, "I have always cared a great deal for you... But our time on the Skiff strengthen the feelings."

"So it wasn't love at first sight?" 

"Well…" he stammered. He looked down at her and realized she was teasing him. "It took no magic to tell me how I felt… Why do you ask?"

"No reason…"

Goliath stirred and shifted her around so he could see her face, "Elisa…"

"This is bizarre...." 

When Goliath had brought up the Bond earlier, she'd felt… well… she wasn't sure what she felt or was even thinking. It was as if she was trying to figure out the picture in a puzzle by looking at it from the underside. Perhaps it was his words that forced her to face what had been nagging at her for a better part of the day, "I don't sense you…"

Now it was Goliath's turn to be unclear, "Sense me? How do you mean…?"

"The way you can sense me…" Goliath shook his head indicating he still didn't understand what it was she was talking about so she tried to clarify it for him "You know…my heartbeat when we are close. Things like that." 

Goliath held her a bit closer, "I don't know that you would… The bonding itself is a part of Gargoyle heritage."

Elisa spoke slowly stepping away slightly as she did, "So it doesn't work both ways…?" she asked tentatively.

Goliath sighed, "I do not know…" 

"Then how can you be sure we have… bonded?"

"Do humans not bond?"

Elisa trembled slightly in his embrace, "I don't know... I've never had the opportunity to find out…"

"You have never known love?"

"I didn't say that either." She turned her head way slightly, "This just takes some getting used to… that's all…"

Goliath was quiet as his memories went back to the night he saw Jason Canmore kissing his beloved in the very spot they were in now. For an instant he thought maybe this was not what she wanted. What she was afraid of saying to him. Perhaps she needed a 'human' relationship, one she could fully understand and accept. He took a deep breath before speaking again, afraid the fear he felt in his hearts might be betrayed in his voice, "Elisa… what I feel for you… if you no longer feel the same, I would understand…"

Elisa looked at him as if he'd just asked he her what the combined batting average for the New York Yankees was last year, "What are you talking about?"

He shifted slightly, "It must be uncomfortable for you… to become involved with me…" 

"Goliath, I thought we went over this already…" 

He had the distinct feeling she really had no idea what he was getting at so he finally came out and told her, "I have seen you…"

Elisa was starting to get annoyed by the apparent cryptic conversation they were having, "Seen me what…?" 

Goliath glanced away briefly, "With other humans…"

"With other humans? Big Guy, what on earth are you…" Her voice trailed off, as she finally understood what he was referring to. She looked away in embarrassment and shame, "Jesus… You saw me that night… with Jason…" 

He said nothing but the look on his face was more than enough and it pulled at her heart to know he had seen something so personal and intimate between her and another. Something that should not have happened… but did. 

"I'm sorry you saw it, and I wont lie to you… at the time… well…" She looked back at him, "Believe me this has nothing to do with Jason Canmore…"

"Then who?" he asked. It never occurred to him this might not be a good subject to get into, so her reaction to his question surprised him.

She pulled away fully from him and walked back to the couch and sat down, "Yeah, like I'd tell you." 

Elisa hadn't meant to take the tone she did, but she needed him to understand this was not open to discussion. She heard the low rumble in his throat, "Goliath," she said, trying to be reasonable, "You practically wanted to rip Tony Dracon's arms out of his sockets for putting his arm around me."

"He was a criminal…" he replied darkly.

"My point exactly. You knew there was no possibility of me being involved with him, and still you wanted to bounce him off the walls. Like I'd unleash you on someone I might have even remotely cared about…" 

Goliath could feel the tightness increasing in his chest as the emotions within him threatened to escape. He was upset; not at her…but at the thought of someone else loving her. Anyone, no matter how far in her past, that might have had a connection to her. Holding her, kissing her, loving her… 

All this passed in an instant through his mind and while his face didn't betray it, Elisa picked up on them. "Big Guy," she started, "Let's not get into this… you can't get like this over some… Trust me it was nothing…" 

The look he gave her nearly made her heart stop. She knew he was hurt by her unwillingness to share that part of her past with him. She was keeping secrets from the one person who might understand and knew there was only one way to make things right. Only one way to explain.

"It's not in the way you think… not entirely…" She hesitated, not sure this was something she wanted to get into, but continued on despite her misgivings, "I was with someone, nothing serious… at least not for him…"

Goliath indicated he understood, and had known about causal relationships all to well from the television Hudson and the others enjoyed so much.

Elisa continued, "When I was in college there was a guy. We dated for about 8 months… I thought it was love… I was only like twenty."

"We were at a party thrown by one of his friends; a frat party I think… I didn't even want to go to the in the first place… Anyway everyone was drinking and things were starting to get kinda crazy. I told him I wanted to leave and he wanted to stay and the more we argued the more demanding he became. I finally asked him to take me home. He refused, got even more furious at me for ruining his mood…" 

Elisa paused for what seemed like an eternity and shuddered as the memories threatened to overwhelm her. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I left the party alone and walked back to my dorm. It was the last time I ever saw him."

The room had a peculiar silence to it and when Goliath finally broke the quiet, his voice seemed to echo slightly, "So it ended then."

"No… later on I guess he started to feel bad about the fight and decided to come by and see me..." A single tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped at it angrily, irritated that someone from her distant past could still upset her to the point of tears after all this time. "They found his car wrapped around a tree. It took a long time for me to stop blaming myself for that one." 

"I don't know… If we hadn't fought, I might have stayed, and maybe the accident wouldn't have happened… Looking back, I know the biggest reason I left wasn't because of the fight… but because half way through the argument I knew I could never love him." She sat on the couch, "I just figured it wouldn't happen for me."

Goliath moved to her and knelt down before her, "You know it now… I would never put a 'condition' on the love I have for you." His voice was true and his words pure and brought a fresh batch of tears to her eyes. They were no longer the tears of sorrow or anger, but of love. He wiped them away lovingly and felt the same burning in his own eyes. He stood up pulling her to her feet again and held her close, "Elisa, I don't wish to pressure you, and if you don't… please don't feel you have to say things you..."

"It's not that… I'm just not good with saying the words…"

He added _yet_ silently in his mind.

It was as if a switched had been flipped in her head; the buzzing that had been nagging her for the past few days was replaced with… well… is wasn't truly gone, just different.

She heard his voice clearly. If she had not been looking at him at that very instant she would have presumed he had indeed spoken the word aloud… but she knew for a fact he had not. The shock of it almost made her go weak, but she quickly composed herself as to not alarm Goliath. She found the voice to uttered a single word… 

"Yet." She spoke the word in wonderment.

Goliath looked down at her in astonishment, "How did you…"

This time it was she who held a finger to his lips, "Shhh, no words…" She smiled and stretched up to kiss him gently.

***** ***** *****

"Hi Matt."

Matt Bluestone looked up from his stack of paperwork to see his partner walking over to him. He checked his watch, it was just after 9 PM. He rubbed his eyes, they were burning from the reading he was going over, "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much, I wanted to get an early jump on some stuff before I hit the streets." She walked over to a desk; someone had put her nameplate on it. She smiled at Matt knowingly, "Thanks." 

He nodded at her with a nonchalant look. She quickly looked though the small pile of reports and messages that were on her desk. 

There were a few phone messages from the FBI, Interpool, and the AFT that would have to wait until morning to return and a note from Captain Chavez saying the judge had frozen all Canmore assets. The surveillance round the buildings still had yet to turn up anything. She was beginning to loose faith that he would ever resurface.

She looked around the 23rd, much of the construction was still going on, but otherwise it was quiet. She noticed Chavez's door was closed and the lights were off. "I was hoping it'd be safe to come in. I'm not even supposed to be back on duty until tomorrow night…"

Matt looked the direction she was looking, "Yeah, she's over at the Mayor's Office." He rose from his desk, "I was about to head over there myself. Wanna come along?"

"Do I even dare? What's going on over there?"

"The Quarrymen are having a rally over there. I finally got a line on their ring leader." He picked up a file from his desk and handed it to Elisa, "He's making a big public statement." 

"How'd you get that?"

"I have my sources." 

Elisa took the file and began flipping though it. There were a few photos of group rallies. Most the participants had on hoods with what appeared to be hammers on them. Elisa started to close the file when one of the photos caught her attention.

It was of a young man, maybe a few years younger than she was. He was blond and had a goatee. For a moment he reminded her of David Xanatos, but that was as far as the resemblance went. It looked as if he were trying to avoid having his photo taken, "Who's this guy?"

Matt walked over to see what she was talking about. "That's him. Castaway is the only name I have right now."

Elisa looked at the picture again. She couldn't shake the feeling she'd seen him someplace before.

"Something up?" he inquired.

She handed the file back over to him, "He looks familiar… we might have busted him before... If you want I'll look through old rap sheets later…" She turned to leave, "In the mean time, I've got to go verify Canmore's accounts have been frozen…."

They were about to walk out the door when Officer Morgan called over to them, "Detective Maza, you are in. You had a phone call earlier. She said it was urgent you get back with her." 

Elisa groaned inward, "Damn it." She walked over and took the message from him. As her eyes scanned the message the color drained from her face. There was no time to indicate what time the call came in. "What time did this come in?" She quickly asked.

Matt walked over, a concerned look coming over his face, "What's wrong? Who is it from?"

Officer Morgan looked over his log sheets, "Looks like about… an hour ago…"

Matt asked the question again, "Who is it from?"

"That can't be possible…" she said slowly.

"That's what the log indicates… Is there a problem?"

Matt cut back in again, "Hello? Remember me? Who is the damn message from?"

She handed him the note, "Dominique Destine."

***** ***** *****

Elisa stood in the elevator of Nightstone Unlimited. She pulled her pistol and checked the clip. Satisfied, she replaced the weapon and adjusted her jacket so it wouldn't be visible. She figured it was Demona playing it off and didn't want it to be caught off guard.

A few weeks ago she'd have not even considered trying this. Now she found herself walking into the Lion's Den. Why the hell she was agreeing to even meet the psychotic immortal was beyond her. 

The doors opened to the top floor and she walked over to a large desk with a lone woman sitting behind it. Elisa glanced it over briefly, and began to pull her badge from her jacket to identify herself. The woman held up a hand, "You are expected." She indicated a set of large double doors just left of the desk, "Follow me."

Elisa followed the woman into the room. It was huge and completely empty. Nothing on the walls, no furniture, and one entire wall was cut away for an unobstructed view of the city. The woman left and pulled the doors closed behind her. Elisa now stood alone in the room. Belatedly she realized if this were an ambush, she'd just walked right into it.

The lights dimmed and one wall flickered to life. Elisa was in shock. Before her stood Dominique Destine. Elisa looked futility out the window. It was well after dark, and by her account she should not be looking at the woman before her. Demona laughed at her spitefully, "Surprised?"

__

To say the least… Somehow Elisa found the strength to not voice her sentiments. Demona had the same look of disgust Elisa imagined she had on her own face. They stood there looking at each other, each sizing the other up.

Elisa was fighting to control her uneasiness and temper. _What the hell was going on? _ This shouldn't have been possible unless… She wasn't there. Not in the building, not in New York, and mostly likely not even on the East Coast. Where ever she was it was still day light. "So what do I call you?" Elisa ultimately asked.

"Nothing, you do not speak to me at all. You are here to listen. I have afforded you a great amount of latitude by allowing you here at all." The woman continued, her tone menacing, "You have seen fit to watch my building. I want you to stop immediately."

Elisa flinched slightly but said nothing. There was no point in denying it, not until she figured out what the hell was going on.

"Nightstone Unlimited has nothing to do with you or your kind."

"Oh, yeah, right. The attempted eradication of the human race has nothing to do with me." Elisa snapped.

"You have no evidence of that…" The words were spoken as if they held venom. "This could be viewed as harassment of a law abiding establishment, Detective." 

"Don't worry Demona, the dealings of Nightstone Unlimited are not my concern…" _But the Hunter is, and I'm betting he's a big concern for you too. Why else would you leave New York? _She thought silently.

Demona said nothing but her facial expression did change… drastically. Elisa attributed the lack of control it to several things. Demona's unfamiliarity with the human form and the fact Elisa called her by her true name while she was still in her human form. If Elisa hadn't know better she thought the woman was scared.

Demona finally spoke, her words carefully measured, "You will stop… Now!" she stepped closer and was now towering over Elisa on the screen. On anyone else the effect might have been intimidating… to Elisa was it irritating.

"Look, I'm not one of your flunkies. Remember who asked who for this little chat." Elisa was beyond rational thinking and wanted the conversation to be over with. The buzzing in her ears had increased slightly, and she wondered absently if Goliath was near by. "If this is all you wanted to say, you should've just sent a note and saved me the trip."

"Leave, Human." she stepped back again. "Heed my warning, as it will be my only one … Stop your actions now." The screen went blank.

Elisa now stood alone in the dark, trying to process what had just happened. The door opened behind her, the woman who'd shown her in earlier stood there. Elisa spun around, "Where exactly is Dem… Ms. Destine?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. This way." 

Elisa followed the woman out of the room and to the elevator. On the ride down Elisa pondered the new information. If Demona wasn't there then where the hell was she? Once down in the lobby she walked over to a payphone. Slipping in a few coins she dialed the station looking for Matt. Morgan told her he was still out. She thanked him, hung up, and dropped another series of coins and dialed his pager, and left a voice message for him to call her ASAP. 

This was big, and Elisa didn't know how much bigger it might get.

***** ***** *****

Demona stood in front of the video camera for sometime. The Human had rattled her, but she refused to acknowledge it. 

When she'd been informed someone was watching the building, she assumed it to be the police, specifically Elisa Maza. She hadn't expected for her to come at all much less alone. The others must have been waiting outside, unwilling to expose themselves just yet. 

She dismissed the thoughts. She had other things to deal with right now. The conversation was over and with any luck it would never happen again. Not until she had dispensed with those who had caused her so much difficulty as of late. 

The phone rang on her desk; she took a few moments to compose herself before picking it up, "Yes?"

"Yes, Ma'am, she came alone, the outside monitors confirm it." 

Demona realized the Human must not have told Goliath or the others of her meeting. She doubted there was any way Goliath would allow his precious human come and see her without him… "Very well. When you're done, fax the papers here." She hung up without another word. 

She walked over to a large window and looked out over the city and ocean. Temporary though it may be, the high-rise was well worth the price. The line for the fax machine began to ring. She was impressed, this new woman was very efficient… After the fiasco with Robin Canmore her screening process was a bit more… selective.

She walked over and picked up the papers being transmitted to her. She glanced at the clock, it was an unnecessary action, but she did so anyway. She had time before sunset. 

Glancing thought the bits of information, Demona felt her frustration rising. The reports she was reading were less then pleasing and the more she read, the more annoyed she became by the most resent turn of events… 

The Quarrymen situation was getting serious. She was furious about having to leave New York but the situation was unavoidable. Until she put an end to the Hunter… she was vulnerable, and THAT was unacceptable. There had to be away to make this work to her advantage.

Looking through the papers a slow, cold, smile came across her face. She picked up the phone and dialed. It barely rang once. "I do have one other thing for you to attend to…"

***** ***** *****

They stood on the edge of the castle. The entire clan was present, thankfully. Brooklyn and Lexington had run into a few Quarrymen while in the park stopping a mugger. They had been chased for several blocks before loosing them. Goliath was highly upset by the news, but knew it was a necessary risk if they were ever going to reclaim their rightful place in the city.

Dawn was still a few hours away and he wondered cautiously where Elisa was. Matt had told him she was on her way, but it was getting late. He hoped she was all right. 

He turned around to speak to the others but held his voice at the sight before him. It caused an involuntary twitch of his wings. Brooklyn and the others were so wrapped in their tails of the evening and failed to notice they had company.

"Evening everyone," A voice came from behind them. 

They turned to see Elisa walking up. Matt was the first to reach her, "Are you alright?" he hissed quietly. 

Goliath moved to her side and the others quickly gathered around, "Got some news for you all… Matt you go first..." 

"I hope's better than the last news you two brought, Elisa." Angela teased lightly, "We don't have to move again do we?" 

Matt knew Elisa was stalling, he couldn't blame her either. He didn't want to be the one to tell the rest of them what had happened. He spoke up, "Nope, all went well there. This is more of the interesting side. We have lead on the Quarrymen." He held up the photo Elisa had seen earlier. The others closed into have a look.

Lexington smiled as soon as he saw the photo, "Hey! That's the photo I found in the database you had me hack!"

Elisa elbowed Matt in the ribs, "Your 'source'?" she whispered.

Matt ignored her, but Elisa noted he did rub his side ruefully, "Yes, it is. Anyway he's the one who's begun to wind up all the folks around here." He retrieved the picture from Angela and placed it back in the file he carried. "Right now, he's bad mouthing the GTF, more specifically he's bad mouthing me. His mindset is if the GTF can't catch you, then he will." The others grumbled quietly but Matt took little notice.

"As long as we can track his movements, I think we can put the kabosh on all this, and get back to not finding you. Lex, I'm gonna need you to monitor their database and see what else pops up. If it looks like they might be getting close, I need you to let me know."

"Excellent!" Lexington nodded and began to head over to the computer. 

Elisa held him up for a moment, "Wait up Lex, I have something else to talk to you all about. Something that might be a bigger mess... I went to Nightstone Unlimited tonight…" She began, and as expected, didn't get very far, although the over all mix of reactions was staggering. 

Brooklyn and Broadway both swore, Angela stood in shocked silence, Lexington nearly dropped to the floor, Hudson shook his head in disbelief, and even Bronx was quiet.

Goliath on the other hand went bezerk, which might have been a part of the reason the reactions of the other seemed so calm. He ranted at Elisa for being so careless as to go to the building. When he realized she'd gone alone, he berated Matt for allowing her to go in the first place. He bellowed for the mere fact that it appeared Demona was back in their lives once again. 

All said, Goliath was understandably upset and so were the others, he was just more vocal about it.

Elisa on the other hand, took the moral road and did nothing to defend her actions. Once he was quiet she continued, "I spoke to Dominique Destine tonight… Well after dark…"

Goliath was bewildered, "That is not possible…"

"It was over a phone link of some kind." 

At the mention of the new technology Lex perked up, "You mean like a conference call?"

"Yeah, but with video," Elisa confirmed. "Turns out she wasn't even in the building." 

Goliath cut her off, "How could you have known this? It could have been a trap…"

Elisa snapped at him, "Would you please quit cutting me off and let me finish?!" 

Goliath took a deep breath and bowed slightly, "Please continue…"

"Thank you," She retorted, smiling slightly at him to reassure him she didn't take it personally and he shouldn't either. "As I was saying, I spoke with Dominique Destine… not Demona. There was no way she could have been close, unless she's learned some new spell…" 

Elisa suddenly realized she had taken an awful risk tonight. What if Demona had been in the building and prerecorded the message? She pushed the thought out of her mind, she didn't want to accidentally broadcast that idea to Goliath. They were still experimenting with their new found connection… bond… what ever it was… and she wasn't sure now was the best time to see if he could pick up on her thoughts. Thankfully he appeared distracted enough with the current situation to even notice.

"Anyway," she continued, "I did a bit of checking around. Turns out the corporate jet left Manhattan the day after the Clock Tower incident. One passenger on board but no name on the passenger manifest. It stopped in Denver Colorado to refuel and then departed again without filing a flight plan. Small private aircraft can do that but not commercial jets… Not too many people could pull that one off."

The others nodded numbly, processing the information. Hudson spoke, "What does this mean to us lass?"

"She's vulnerable during the day… As near as I can figure with the Hunter on the loose she must have figured she wouldn't be able to stick around for very long without him coming after her."

It was Broadway, ever the detective, who spoke, "Then The Hunter might be gone too. He might not even be in the city anymore…"

Elisa said nothing since she had the same thoughts earlier, but felt it was unlikely. The clan posed a bigger threat to him than Demona did. Besides, Canmore thought he had a vested interest in seeing the entire clan destroyed. His vendetta was no longer just with Demona. 

Goliath spoke the thoughts she had, "No, the Hunter is still here. With all the Anti-Gargoyle propaganda going on, he'd be a fool to leave."

Matt nodded, "Good point."

"Either way," she began, "Demona knows I'm on to her now, and she has to know it will be only a matter of time before I figured out exactly where she is. So it can mean a couple of things…" 

Angela spoke up "What could she possibly hope to do?"

"Well for starters, it might have been an effort to have me draw you all out."

Brooklyn spoke, "She looking to set a trap."

Matt cut in, "Well, it's a possibility. Robin Canmore worked for Nightstone Unlimited, and she was a Hunter. Come to think of it, the Quarrymen seem to be picking up where the Hunters left off…"

This made sense, but Lexington was the first to say it, "Do you think the Hunter… is part of the Quarrymen?"

"I don't know how we missed the connection before…" Matt replied. "It is possible the Hunter is doing this since he can't risk being too visible. If he does anything public, Elisa can take him in…This Castaway guy might be a front for him…"

"Damn..." Elisa turned to Matt, "We're gonna have to go out to Riker's tomorrow afternoon to speak with Robin and Jason again. They might not help us find Jon but Demona is another story."

"So what do you need me to look for?" Lexington asked.

Matt thought about it for a moment, "Same type of stuff you looked at before, see what has changed or if anything new has been added. They had a rally tonight, so that might be a place to start." As an after thought he added, "And see what else you can find out about this Castaway guy…" He turned to Elisa, "I think you're right, Jason and Robin are the best chance to find out what the Hunters knew about Demona…"

Lexington bounced off, "I'm on it!" 

"Be careful!" Elisa and Goliath yelled out in unison. 

"No problem, they'll never even know I was there!" he called over his shoulder.

Elisa turned to the rest of the group, "The computer stuff could be easier, but if Canmore is involved with The Quarrymen, he'll be looking for anyone who comes around. Which means any physical snooping around is going to have to be done by me or Matt."

Goliath was beginning to object to this when Xanatos walked in, "Sorry to intrude on your little meeting, but I couldn't help but over hear your conversation."

"What do you want Xanatos?" Elisa rolled her eyes at the man, obviously there were no conversations that happened without his taking a 'notice'. 

"I merely wanted to know if there is anyway I might assist in your endeavor? I took the liberty of checking on a few possible places Demona might have gone after leaving Colorado…" he held out a list to Elisa.

She took the list from him and handed it to Matt without even looking at it. She made it a point to place herself between the Clan and the man who stood before her. She nodded slightly at him, "We'll look into it." She said indifferently.

If he was put off by her manor he gave no indication of it, "Anything to help, Detective." He responded. "Well if you'll excuse me." He turned again to make eye contact with Elisa, "If you require anything further, let Owen know and he will assist you." 

He appraised Elisa just long enough for Goliath to become uneasy. He allowed a low rumble to escape, but Elisa cut him off with a single look. He now stood in a defensive manor behind her. Xanatos smiled at the action, as if he expected this to happen, and returned to the Castle.

"What was all that about, Father?" Angela asked. She was still very new to this world but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure there was much tension between Xanatos, Elisa, and her father.

Goliath turned abruptly to his daughter, "Nothing! Go and assist Lexington… It will be dawn soon."

She was hurt by his dismissal but said nothing and went into the castle. Broadway and Brooklyn both followed her in, each equally stunned by Goliath's harsh words.

"Nice going, Big Guy…" Elisa spoke very softly. She'd realized Goliath had inadvertently picked up her hostile feelings towards Xanatos and taken it out on Angela, "That wasn't very smart…"

__

No, it wasn't… he too knew what had just happened.

Elisa decided strong emotions must facilitate the Bond, so she was able to pick up parts of Goliath's thoughts, "We're gonna have to figure out a way to get a handle on this..." She said under her breath.

Matt stood there feeling like he was listening in on half a conversation. It was a bizarre situation, but he'd have to inquire about it later, because a few seconds later, Lexington was yelling for them to come quickly.

They came into the Great Hall and stood around the computer terminal to see what Lexington was yelling about.

"You gotta see this," he quipped, "I was searching the Quarrymen database when I came across this."

The screen was a jumble of letters and numbers, they were scrolling at high speeds and seemed to make no sense at all. They looked at the screen and then at Lex, not having the faintest idea what they were looking at.

"OK, Mr. Wizard," Brooklyn teased him, "What are we looking at?"

"It looks like a tapeworm feed from the Server." Lexington stated as if everyone should know what he was talking about.

"Lovely. Why are we looking at it Lex?" he asked again.

"Because it's not coming from the Server. It's being feed into it by an outside source. The only reason I even noticed it was because it wasn't here the other night."

Elisa moved in closer, "What's it doing?"

"Well I'm not sure but it looks like it's deleting the database."

Angela peered over his shoulder, "Can we stop it?"

"Not without letting someone know he's in the system…" Elisa moved closer to the screen, "Lex, what other sites feed into this Server?"

Lexington quickly hit the keys on the keyboard, "Looks like…not many… some private homepages, a chat room… But this feed is just hitting the Quarrymen site."

Matt looked up from the list Xanatos had given them, "Wait a sec… did you say a tapeworm feed?"

Lex spoke cautiously, "Yeah…"

Matt looked at the screen, and suddenly yelled out, "Shut it down! Shut it down now!"

With out even thinking, Broadway reached over and yanked all the cords out of the back of the computer. The screen suddenly went blank. Lexington wailed in protest, "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, hope I didn't break anything..." he said sheepishly.

Elisa looked at Matt, "What's wrong?"

Lexington smacked his head abruptly, realizing what almost happened, "Argh, how could I have been so stupid!"

"What are you talking about Lex?" Angela asked.

When Lexington didn't respond Matt spoke up, "The tapeworm is a new program, but really hard to use. Folks in the know say the CIA created it to wipeout web sites that contradict what the government puts out…

Elisa gave him a skeptical look, "Get to the point Matt…"

He held up his hands in defense, "Just hear me out. Whoever created it, designed it to act like a web browser but it's really a virus…"

"A virus?" Broadway was now looking at the computer. He dropped the cords as if he might suddenly become sick by the contact.

"It's not what you think," Lex interjected, "The 'worm' might be hard to use but if you know what you're doing, there's no defense against it. Virus programs won't recognize it as being harmful since it's masquerading as a browser and can be activated by keying on words rather than entire programs. Once it finds them it sets up a chain reaction and the anti-virus programs can't fight it since it's already in the system."

Matt jumped back in, "The 'worm' cleans out the site then deletes itself. Any evidence of it is destroyed. If it's on a computer it crashes and wipes it out, most people attribute it to a hard drive failure, and just reload their system." He looked at the computer wires, which now lay in disarray on the floor, "If you hadn't pulled the line Broadway…"

Elisa cut in, "Is there a way you an find out where it came from? Where the 'tapeworm' originated?" She had a feeling she didn't want to know the answer.

"No need Detective."

They all turned to see Owen Burnett standing with a sheaf of paper. "I ran a back feed of my own to see where the data was going. It appears to have gone to the West Coast." He dropped the paper on the console and left as quickly as he came.

"Why would someone be wiping out computer sites?" Brooklyn inquired.

Matt looked back down at the list, "Hey Elisa, check this out..." She walked over to him and looked at the list. Los Angeles was the third location on the sheet

"Demona." Elisa whispered.

"I think…" Lex tapped several keys, "Yeah… about 320 Anti-Gargoyle sites… all have been crashed… The Quarrymen site is… was… one of the last…" 

Lexington spoke tentatively, "She's must be looking for the Hunter too. She just trying to hide it… I don't think the 'worm' made it to us here, I linked through several Servers before going into the Quarrymen database. I didn't want to be discovered if something happened…" He was still looking at the computer, realizing how close they had… he had… come to being unwittingly discovered.

"She was wiping them all out…" Angela looked at the computer, "That could mean she thinks the Hunter…"

Elisa sucked in a deep breath, "We gotta find Jon… Fast…"

"Why?" Angela inquired. "If she wants to find the Hunter then why don't we let her." She had no love for the Hunter, but it didn't go to the extreme hate her mother had.

"No, my Daughter…" Goliath spoke softly, "To allow her to continue on this destructive vendetta goes against all we believe in…"

Elisa added her own opinion to the mix, "Besides I doubt she'd stop with just him… It will be only a matter of time before she starts with the rest of humanity again… And that goes against everything me and Matt believe in." 

Matt shook his head slowly, "We're gonna have to move quick on this… before word gets out…"

They all stood in silence, pondering their next move.

***** ***** *****

The others had gone outside to discuss the next course of action, leaving Lexington alone to quietly survey the damage to the computer. Luckily none of the wires had been damaged, so it was just a matter of reconnecting the lines. He was hooking the system back up when Elisa walked up to him, "How goes it?"

"Oh… not bad…" he said glumly. He was still bothered by the near disaster.

Elisa spoke to him softly, "I have some other stuff I'd like you to look at…if you're up to it…"

He perked up immediately, "Really?" then said more restrained, "Are you sure you want me to after what almost happened?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're the best at this stuff…" she sat in the chair in front of the desk and looked at him. "It might be a be more tricky…"

"Sure Elisa. What could be that tricky after tonight?" he asked. 

She moved closer and whispered the name of the site she wanted him to look at, and specifically what she wanted him to look for. When she was done he was so surprised his jaw physically dropped.

"Are you serious?" He was all business now, the problems before gone from his mind.

"Yeah, deadly serious…" she spoke softly, "Just don't get caught…"

Lexington's confidence was rapidly returning, "After tonight I know what to look for… I might try and run a back loop like Owen did, this way if it I run into another 'worm' I can reroute it back to where it came from. It will look like it hit an empty site… Maybe AOL has one that's not running anymore… Oh wait, I was reading about a new thing called Data Mining…"

Elisa smiled as she listened to him ramble on. She had little doubt he'd find what she was looking for… and then some. She looked at the young gargoyle, "Lex, I'm personally gonna get you a web site of your own…" 

***** ***** *****

Dawn was rapidly approaching, as Goliath called the others to their appointed spots. One by one, they all leaped up, yawning and stretching from the long night. Goliath was exhausted as well but knew part of what he was feeling emanated from Elisa. Her proximity to him allowed him to pick up the weariness she was feeling but trying to hide. He looked over at her, standing off to the side speaking quietly with Angela.

After a few minuets they walked over and Angela took her spot, "Thanks Elisa, you were a big help."

"Anytime, kiddo." 

Goliath looked to Elisa, wondering what exactly it was that she had said to his daughter. 

She made no indication she was going to tell him but walked over to stand by him, "Girl talk." She stated.

"Really…" He responded.

"Nothing you'd be interested in." she said noncommittally, "Come on, who else can she talk to about boys and…"

Goliath whipped his head around at this statement, "Boys?!?!"

Elisa glanced over his shoulder; the sun was rising. It was a swift transformation, taking Goliath by surprise. Elisa stood with her eyes closed, and let out a heavy sigh. She moved closer and rested a hand on his frozen form.

Matt walked over to her, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah…" she made no effort to leave.

Matt looked at his partner. The look in her eyes was one he knew few men would ever see from a woman. It was the look of love that knows no boundaries… and it was directed at Goliath. He felt a momentary pang of jealousy, but quickly quashed it. This was his partner. His friend. 

"I'll wait for you down stairs…" He started.

"No, Matt. Stay a sec…" She gazed at the seven stone forms before her. Her thoughts felt empty. She reached over and took Matt's hand, "Do you think our lives will ever be… normal?"

Matt wasn't sure what she meant. Did she mean this situation… or her and Goliath? He thought hard before answering, "What makes you think this isn't normal? I'm sure there are hundreds of people, all over the world, who live lives just like ours."

She looked at him with an eye cocked at him and chuckled, "Yeah, right…"

"I'm serious. I wouldn't doubt it at all. And if not… well… it's a damn shame." He gave her hand a squeeze of support. He could see what was going on.

Elisa stood silently in the morning dawn, one of her hands in Matt's and the other resting on Goliath's stone form.

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	4. Sleeping With the Enemy

Sleeping With the Enemy

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

Part four in the series

Anyone you don't recognize is of my creation anyone you do recognize belongs to Disney so I'm only borrowing them, not making any money, and promise to put them back when I'm done…

The Golden rule: Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

Hope you like and happy reading!

***** ***** *****

Elisa flipped through the files on her desk with half an eye. She was waiting on Matt who was, once again, running late. They were supposed be heading to the prison to see Robin and Jason Canmore. 

She tossed the files on her desk in distaste… still no sign of Jon Canmore at any location. He had managed to make himself disappear. She had hopped he'd slip up some place, make a mistake in his anger at the gargoyles and do something stupid. It was an empty hope, The Hunters hadn't survived this long with knowing how to cover their tracks and if he was hooked up with the Quarrymen, the task of finding him might become impossible. 

She looked at the files again. There were few leads still to be examined but collectively they were useless. One woman, a Jan Reading had still yet to be interviewed. Elisa thought she knew the name from someplace but couldn't place it. She reached for the phone and dialed the number but got a busy signal and made a mental note to call the woman later.

"You ready?" a voice said over her shoulder. "We better go if we want to miss the traffic." 

She looked back at Matt standing there. She hadn't heard him walk up, "About time you showed up." She rose from her chair and slipped into her jacket, "Let's get this over with..."

***** ***** *****

She was half way to the car when she felt a light vibrating at her hip; her pager was going off. She pulled the tiny device from her jeans with disgust. Ever since the bombing, Chavez had insisted she start carrying one. It was like having an electric leash on and she hated it since she had no idea what one incident had to do with the other. 

She glanced at the number, 555-1013*911. 

It was a private line from the Eyrie building. Elisa felt her irritation level peg out. How did Xanatos get the number to her pager and why the hell was he calling her? She felt the frustration rising again but put it on hold since whatever he wanted was going to have to wait. Starting the engine for the Fairlane, she pulled out of the parking spot and drove around front to pick up Matt.

He hopped into the front seat, "We need to get with Xanatos…"

"Matt, we're late as it is…whatever he wants will have to wait."

He held up his pager. "I've been paged three time in the last two minutes." 

Elisa felt the vibrating at her hip again. "This had better be good…"

***** ***** *****

"Really Detective Maza, I cannot be stopped every five minutes to relay messages for you and Detective Bluestone." Owen stated.

Elisa gave him a sympathetic nod, "Thanks Owen, we owe you one." 

Owen nodded slightly and moved off to take care of other business.

They walled into the Great Hall and found Lexington off to the side tapping away and Elisa smiled at the young hacker as they approached him, "What's up Lex? Owen said it was important…"

The green gargoyle gave her a look which held no joy, "I thought you'd want to see this…"

She focused in on the papers Lexington had just handed her, "What exactly am I looking at?" 

"Whoever crashed the Quarrymen database copied and downloaded it before they took it out."

Elisa gave him an uncertain look and scanned the pages again, "OK… so where did the information go?"

"Right where you thought it might be. I found it in a batch of protected files…" 

She flipped forward a few pages and scanned them over finally understanding what it was that Lexington had found, "And you weren't detected?"

"I stayed in for ten more minutes and nothing happened." He stated. "No one knew I was there." 

"Positive?" She said with some concern. She had no desire to have Lexington doing things that might threaten the Clan but it couldn't be avoided at this point.

"Positive," he assured her. "I never would have been able to get in if someone knew." He knew the risks and had no intention of getting caught. He also knew how high the stakes were.

"You think you could go back in?" Elisa inquired.

Lexington shrugged offhandedly, "Sure… I don't see why not…"

"Good, I might need you to go back in, but not now." Things were beginning to make sense now. She looked around the Castle, "Where is everyone?"

"Out on patrol. Are you gonna stick around till Goliath gets back?"

"No," she spoke quickly while leafing through the papers, "Tell him we'll be by later…" she turned to Matt and handed him the files, "I think we got something…" 

"Where did all this come from?" Matt questioned. After looking through the papers he didn't care where it came from, "Lexington, you are a genius!" 

Elisa kissed the young gargoyle on the head and the pair ran out of the room.

Lexington sat there with a silly smile on his face. Shaking his head he turned back to the computer and started hitting keys.

***** ***** *****

Elisa and Matt stood outside the prison visiting area at Riker's Island, waiting to check their weapons in. It was just after 8 PM and the prison was just beginning to quiet down. They were well past regular visiting hours, but after claiming 'official police business' they were assured they would be allowed in soon. 

A surly guard cleared and secured their weapons before leading them into the visiting area to wait for Robin Canmore to be brought down. Elisa glanced at the woman's file noting that she'd had a few problems since her arrival at the facility. The most recent incidents involved fights with other inmates and several altercations with guards. 

Clearly the woman was not endearing herself to the criminal justice system. 

Elisa closed the file when she heard the iron door being opened. Robin Canmore was lead in wearing arm and leg shackles, an orange prison issue jumpsuit and looking very unhappy. Elisa could see the telltale marks of her most recent encounter with the guards. The OC Spray must have been administered recently because the red splotches were still visible on her face and neck and her eyes were red and puffy. 

OC Spray, or pepper spray as it was know by those who carry it, was quite effective. Correction Officers and prison officials used it primarily since firearms were not allowed within the facility but nearly all law enforcement officers carried it. A one-second burst would bring a violent suspect, or prisoner in this case, to a screeching halt with minimal risks to all parties involved. It worked almost immediately and unlike Mace, a person could not build up a tolerance for it because it disrupted the breathing and mucus membranes rather than the just eyes. 

It effectively left a person helpless and disorientated even if they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It was a midway point between hand to hand combat and deadly force. 

Elisa also knew how much it hurt. It was one of her most vivid memories of her Police Academy training since each officer had to be sprayed in order to understand the effects. She had received hers almost six years ago and the experience was still crystal clear in her mind. 

She rose from the table and went over to a nearby sink to run some water over a paper towel and then handed it to the woman inmate, "Here… Don't rub… Just dab the area and hold it against your eyes. It will help with the burning…" 

With her hands shackled Robin was unable to reach her face. Elisa spoke to the guard as he turned to leave, "Think you could take those off her?" 

He looked at her with cold steel eyes, his face was deadpan, unreadable, and she imagined the look worked quite well on the prison population, "Come on, where's she gonna go?"

The guard walked over to look at Robin with the same dead pan expression on his face and unlocked the arm chains but left the leg irons in place. "I'll be right outside the door, you give them any problems and I'll zap you again, Canmore."

Turning to leave he called over his shoulder to Elisa and Matt, "Holler out if you need anything."

They waited until the guard left to speak to Robin, "Are you OK?" Elisa asked.

"No, I'm not 'OK'… That shit hurts like hell…" She held the towels to her face attempting to slow the burning of the pepper spray. When she pulled them away she had a truly pissed look on her face, "You're wasting your time... I've got nothing to say to you." 

Matt spoke first, "Why don't you hear us out first."

Elisa tossed several pictures to the woman, "I want to know how you figured it out."

"Figured out what?" The former Hunter asked.  


"Who Dominique Destine is." Elisa replied softly.

At the mention of the name, Robin went ashy white. The accent was bearly detectable in her voice as she spoke, "What makes ye think I knew?" 

Matt cut in, "Cut the crap, we found your records. They were seized when you were taken into custody."

Robin glared at him, "'Tis a lie. It 'twas never in there…"  


That was the opening they were both hoping and waiting for. 

"You right…" Elisa replied softly. She could tell the woman had changed quite a bit in the few weeks she'd been in prison.

Robin looked at Elisa hard, "So I don't have to talk to ye about this."

"True, but we know it was you who made the discovery. I just want to know how you did it." Robin remained silent so Elisa continued, "But if you don't want to help us…"

Matt rose and moved behind her, "Anytime you want to get back to your cell, your welcome to go…" Robin called his bluff and stood up to leave causing him to place a restraining hand on her shoulder, "It was a figure of speech… Sit."

Elisa scratched her head absently, an unconscious gesture she'd picked up from Hudson some time ago. This route was getting them nowhere, so maybe it was time to up the ante. She gave Matt a covert nod and then glanced in the direction of the cell door making sure the guards weren't checking up on them and then looked back to the other woman and spoke cautiously. "This isn't even an official visit, Robin." 

"What are ye saying?" Robin demanded. 

Her accent becoming a bit more pronounced and Elisa thought she might be on the verge of helping them. She nodded slightly to her partner who then leaned over the woman's shoulder and pointed to one of the photos.

"Tell me who he is." Matt said softly.

Robin barely looked at the picture, and pushed it back, "I have no idea…"

"Oh yeah, well… I think you do," Elisa said and looking directly at the sullen woman, she added, "I think its Jon. And you know what else…?" She hesitated for a moment, "I think Demona thinks so too so it's only a matter of time until she finds him…"

Robin's head shot up at this statement, but she still refused to talk. Elisa thought it was time to play the trump card. She tossed the sheaf of paper Lexington gave her to Robin, "We found this in the database of Nightstone Unlimited..."

Robin looked at the paper with half interest. She didn't need to read them to know what they were. The papers contained a partial record of what the Hunters had done prior to the Clock Tower bombing. Within the documents were some of the records and programs Robin Canmore had created connecting Demona to Dominique Destine.

"I'm not sure how you did it and truth be known I don't care… But whatever you used… Demona is trying to use it to find him." Elisa said to the former hunter.

Robin sat deadly still for a few minutes, her face an unreadable mask. Matt sat down next to her, "All we want to do is find him before she does…"

She looked at the pair for several minutes before she slowly rose and turned to the door. Matt started to stop her but a quick glance from to Elisa told him to her go. 

She shuffled over and pounded on it, "Guard!" 

The big man walked up to the door and glared at her suspiciously through the iron mesh window of the door, "What's the problem Canmore?"

"I want to return to my cell." She replied. She turned and faced Matt and Elisa, "I can't help ya..." 

Elisa and Matt sat there in stunned disbelief as the woman was recuffed and led from the room. "I don't believe this…" Matt said under his breath.

"Me either…" Elisa muttered.

"What now?"

"We go with Plan B and hope Jason knew what his sister was doing…"

"You think he'll be more helpful?"

"He'd better be… For everyone's sake…"

***** ***** *****

They sat in the parking lot of the prison. Elisa was so mad she couldn't see straight. She was gripping the wheel of the car so tight her knuckles were turning white. They had attempted to see Jason Canmore in the hospital ward but he refused to see them. 

What the hell was wrong with that family she wondered for the umpteenth time.

Matt's words echoed her thinking. "What the hell is wrong with this family?"

Elisa forced herself to relax, "This is ridiculous. What the hell just happened in there? The last time I talked to Jason, he said he'd do whatever it took to help me out with the investigation. Now he won't even see me. It just doesn't make any sense." 

She flipped through some paperwork the prison had given them before they left. She had requested a copy of all visitors the Canmore's had in last few weeks, thinking maybe Jon had some how gotten a message to them and the staff had missed it. There had been only one for Robin, a lawyer, and Jason had none. Elisa finally resigned herself to sitting in silence for several minutes until her temper cooled. 

Finally Matt broke the silence, "What do you want to do now?"

"Go back in there and pepper spray 'em both until one of them helps us…" 

It was a rhetorical statement since both of them knew that wasn't going to happen. Elisa leaned over and picked up the Canmore file. She hunted through it until coming to the list of witnesses and handed it to Matt. 

"No point in dwelling over this right now… If you're up to it, I have to go talk to this lady… a Jan something … Supposed to be an old friend of the Canmore's. Give her a call and find out where she lives and let her know we'll be coming by. Maybe we'll have better luck there…" she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot and maneuvered into traffic.

"No problem. Is this home or work?" Matt asked.

"Don't know, I tried it earlier but the line was busy…"

He pulled his cell phone out, checked the number and dialed. After two rings a woman's voice answered and from the greeting Matt knew it to be a work number. He looked at the phone curiously and quickly hit a button to disconnect. Thinking he'd dialed the wrong number he checked the number again and redialed but got the same voice again. He flipped the phone shut and looked at Elisa unable to form the words he wanted.

Elisa looked at Matt, he was gasping like a fish out of water, "What?"

"You said that was a work number?"

"I have no idea. Why?"

"You sure it's the right number?"

Elisa checked the rearview mirror and merged into the center lane of traffic, "I don't know, whatever is in the report is what she told the guys to took the call. What's the problem?"

"The number… It's for Nightstone Unlimited…" he started.

With a shriek of rubber, Elisa slammed on the breaks, locking up the wheels and causing the Fairlane to fishtail all over the road. Cars behind them honked and slammed on their breaks as well. The two detectives were lucky not to cause a tremendous pile up behind them.

Elisa looked at him in disbelief, "You are kidding me right?" Matt nodded a negative at her, "Please Matt, tell me you're kidding…"

"No, see for yourself…" he handed her the phone and the Canmore file. She held up her hand to refuse the files, she believed him.

A sudden burst of anger hit her and she began slamming her fist into the dash, "Arrrrrrrggghh!!!!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!" Elisa hunted around furiously, "Where's that visitor list from the prison!?" 

Cars whizzed by, drivers honking and throwing obscene gestures at them. They were still blocking traffic but neither took any notice. Matt finally located it, and they both frowned at the list as if were personally responsible for all their problems, and in a way, it was.

The name on the visitor's list was Jan Reading, Attorney at Law.

Elisa cut across several lanes of traffic and headed back out to Riker's Island.

***** ***** *****

Matt drove from the prison, as Elisa was still way to upset. They now sat outside a seemingly deserted Nightstone Unlimited. 

The prison confirmed what they already knew concerning Robin Canmore's visitor. The woman identified herself as a court appointed attorney and had shown identification confirming who she was so they let her in. The guard told Matt that five minutes after the attorney left, Robin requested to see her brother. 

It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure the rest of it. Elisa realized where she'd seen the name Jan Reading before and had serious doubts that the woman was a lawyer, but there was no doubt that she was Dominique Destine administrative assistant. She remembered seeing the nameplate on the woman's desk. 

Jan Reading had apparently sent Jason and Robin a warning from Demona. 

A very effective warning it appeared. 

"So what do we do now?" Matt asked, "What are the chances Castaway isn't Canmore?"

"Slim…" Elisa replied sullenly. 

In a way Demona had done them a favor. Before they only had their suspicions; now those beliefs were confirmed, Jon Canmore was indeed John Castaway.

Matt shook his head in disbelief, "How do you approach someone with this? 'Excuse me Sir you're under arrest for the bombing of a law enforcement facility and by the way there's a psychotic gargoyle who's been threatening your family through her secretary." He sat there thinking about what could be going on, "I don't know…Maybe it's all just a hoax… Is it possible Demona didn't think we would go see them again?"  


"No, I think she knew we would eventually figure out who Jon was and knew this was the best way to put us in a position to not be able to do a fucking thing about it." 

Matt was shocked since he'd never actually heard Elisa curse although she'd had plenty of opportunities to do so in the past. 

Elisa sat in silence…then it hit her. "Christ that's exactly what Demona was trying to do, Matt!"

He rubbed his jaw absently, "She thinks Jon is on to her and she was worried Robin might tell him who she really is… no… That can't be it… Jon knew long before…" then he saw where Elisa was going with this, "Holly sweet Jesus… The Quarrymen database was a message to him. To let him know she knows who he is… They're in a stalemate… and now she's ensuring they stay that way…"

"By cutting off the best chance we have of getting to Jon before she does." she finished for him. 

"Great, this is just great!" Elisa banged her fist against the dashboard of the Fairlane. "Now we are truly in the middle of this crap! You can't confront the Quarrymen without looking like your trying to hide something from the GTF, and I have to let this nut ball run loose and possibly find out where the Clan is because if I don't Demona will know that we went to see Robyn and Jason."

She slumped in the passenger seat, "We were wrong before, this was a trap. But not for the Hunter, at least not exactly… Matt, it was a trap for us… and we walked right into it…"

Matt was speechless, "We are in a world of shit."

"Yeah up to our necks…"

"What now?"

Elisa sighed, "We better tell the others…"

***** ***** *****

Elisa was exhausted and leaned against Goliath, hopping to draw on some of his strength. He placed a supporting arm around her and turned to the others who stood around the computer in silence. Lexington was going back into the lion's den.

Lexington turned to the group, "OK, I'm in. What next?"

Elisa pulled away from Goliath and walked closer to the computer, "Just monitor, no snooping around."

"What are we looking for?" Brooklyn questioned.

"I have no idea. But someone has to be working that database, and I'll bet its Jan Reading." Elisa replied.

Matt looked at Elisa with a certain degree of surprise, "How do you figure?"

"Why else would she be on known contacts for Jon Canmore? Funny thing is, I doubt the woman has the first clue as to who he is…"

"You know there's an easier way to find out…" Angela said from behind them.

They all turned to her, "What are you talking about?" Matt asked.

The young woman turned to Elisa, "You said she's on the list to be interviewed…"

"Angela, I can't go and talk to this woman now. She knows who I am… and it's not like she wouldn't mention the visit to Demona."

"But she doesn't know Matt…" Broadway cut in.

"Me?!" Matt exclaimed, "No way…"

"Why not?" Goliath questioned, "Technically, Elisa is still your partner."

"I'm also the GTF Commander. Forget it, there's no reason for me to see her; she's a witness for Elisa. If I go and start asking questions about Jon, the gig is up." Matt rubbed his temples in an effort to relieve the throbbing in his head, "Demona isn't stupid. Hell, if it even gets out that we went to the prison, she's liable to assume one of them told us something and then they really will be at risk."

"Our hands are tied," Elisa said quietly, "I can't go, Matt can't go…" 

A brief thought burst into her head, _I will go_… 

Elisa quickly looked at Goliath, "And there is no way any of you can go."

Goliath looked at her _She is our responsibility _… 

"No Goliath!"

Once again Matt knew they were having a conversation none of them were privy to. The others looked at the pair not quite understanding what was going on and the bottom line was he didn't either.

Goliath spoke to the others, "The Human system cannot hold her… She is once again our responsibility. We cannot allow her actions to go unchallenged…"

Brooklyn spoke softly, trying to be the voice of reason, "Goliath, I'm not sure that's a good idea either…" he looked to the others, "I mean… even if we were able to catch her, where would we keep her? Let's face it, we've been down that road before…"

"My point exactly," Elisa interjected "What are you going to do with her during the day? Secondly she's not even here, Goliath!"

"We must do something…" Goliath's eyes blazed white.

Lexington was still looking at the computer, watching as the screen flickered and numbers began flying across the screen. He spoke up at once, "Ah, guys… Someone is working out of Nightstone…" 

"What?" Elisa cried out.

"A line feed…" Lexington replied quickly.

Matt looked at the screen intently, "Someone's trying to trace us…" 

Broadway moved to pull the line again but Lexington cut him off, "Wait!" He hit a few more keys and the screen cleared "It's not us. Someone else is in the system… A couple of somebody's from the look of it…" 

"You gotta be kidding me?" Elisa questioned harshly, "Who else is in there?"

Lexington's talons moved quickly over the keyboard, "I'm checking now…" 

"Find out!" Elisa snapped, "This doesn't make sense…unless…"

The young hacker continued to type away at the keyboard and his surprise was evident in the tone of his voice. "Looks like both are external…but one might be local…" 

"The other has to be Demona, she'd have to have a way to know what is going on… How long before the trace is complete Lex?" Elisa asked.

"Not long… Whoever else is in here isn't hiding themselves very well... or else they're having trouble getting out… there's firewalls popping up all over the place…"

Elisa looked at Goliath as if to say something but then glanced back to Lexington, "Can you reroute the trace…?"

"I think so…Why?"

Goliath had no idea what she was doing, but the anxiety she was feeling was pouring out of her and into him. He reached over to put a halting hand on her shoulder, "Perhaps we should…"

She ignored him and pushed his hand away, "I have got to make sure she doesn't find him… not before I do…"

The stakes of the game had increased by a factor of ten since Matt also realized who might be in the system with them. Only one other person would want to try and gain access the Nightstone database and Matt understood what Elisa was doing. 

Lex looked at Goliath waiting for him to tell him what to do. Elisa knew what he was waiting for and snapped at the young gargoyle, "Do it Lex!"

Goliath nodded slowly, not happy with Elisa and mentally letting her know it. Elisa stumbled slight at the on slaut of thoughts being fired at her but said nothing.

"Ok… It's done." Lex replied slowly and pulled his hands from the keyboard, rubbing them together to relieve some of the cramps from all the typing.

They all watched the screen not sure what they were waiting for. The screen flicked slightly, and then a single message popped up. 

NOT A WISE PLACE TO BE 

They looked in stunned silence. Elisa expected it but it still shocked her. "Lex, can you respond back?"

He tapped a few keys until he found the program he needed and checked to see if the necessary safety protocols were in place, "Yeah… the line is encrypted so it should be safe…"

Elisa leaned over him and typed DEMONA

A few seconds later a second message popped back up. 

DIE HUNTER 

There was a sudden squeal over the modem and while link went down, the database stayed up. 

"Ahhh, what just happened?" Broadway asked.

"I think my mother is extremely displeased…" Angela said slowly.

"That's an understatement." Brooklyn muttered.

"She just sent a back feed through the line... someone has a fried modem now." Matt said after much consideration, "Where did you route the trace to Lex?"

He was half-listening to the conversation and resumed tapping away at the keyboard. "I looped it back on it's self…"

"Did you get a trace on the other visitor?" Elisa inquired.

"Wait a sec…" Lexington studied the screen thoughtfully, "It's coming back now… it was a mirror site… for the Quarrymen. Dragon! It has to be the Hunter… He must have used the old site to get back in…"

Elisa figured it was Canmore and thought maybe there was a way to make this work out. "Does he know about the trace? I mean, would he have seen the message?" She asked.

"He would know about the trace, but he wouldn't understand why it cut off the way it did. I doubt he saw the message, he had his hands full just trying to get out of the database." Lex looked at Elisa, "I don't think that's the question you should be asking though…"

"What do you mean Lexington?" Goliath questioned.

Lexington gave him a tentative expression, "Well, if it were me… I'd want to know who just saved my butt…"

"Damn, I didn't think about that…" Elisa shook her head slowly, "He's gonna want to know who helped him…he'll try and find out who rerouted the trace…" 

A quick burst of static rushed into her head, _I hope you know what you're doing… _

"Yeah… me too." Elisa said under her breath. None of the others took notice of her words… Except Goliath. 

Goliath spoke to the young hacker, "He was in there for a reason Lexington…Find out why…"

***** ***** *****

Elisa and Matt were both exhausted by the time they got back to the 23rd. She stood by the Desk Sergeant checking in and retrieved a small stack of phone messages. Matt walked over to the status board and logged them both out for their shift.

Elisa walked to her desk, flipping through the messages noting which ones needed immediate attention and bypassing the few that could wait. Matt walked up and tapped her on the shoulder, "You ready? I need a ride to pick up my car and just nominated you for the task…"

She nodded to him, "Yeah, no prob…" She continued to flip through the phone messages, tossing Matt's on his desk and noticed a small package sitting on her desk, "Matt, what's that?"

He picked it up and examined it. It was the size of a ring box and wrapped in plain brown wrapping but there was no name indicating who or where it came from. He shook it slightly noting it made no sound as he did, "Got me… but I think it's too small for a letter bomb."

"Not funny Bluestone," She looked over at his desk, "You had better hope not, you got one just like it."

"Where'd they come from?" he inquired.

"Don't know, they were here when I walked up. Open it up…" 

Matt unwrapped the box and Elisa heard him suck in a deep breath. She looked up to see a look of confusion, then dread, come over his face. Something has visibly shocked him so she moved closer to see what was in the box.

Enclosed in the box was a necklace with a small silver hammer.

There was no question where it had come from. She dropped the remaining phone messages and reached for the box from Matt's desk. Tearing it open she looked at the contents in horror.

It contained the exact same thing.

"This is not a good thing, is it?" Matt said quietly. "Why would he send them here?"

Elisa finally pulled her gaze away from the pendant and glanced over at her partner, "Just before they went to sleep Lex told me he went through about sixteen different servers one of which happened to be the 23rd's." She glanced back at the pendant, "He didn't think anyone would be able to trace it back because it's a secure system…"

Matt gave her a pained expression, "Canmore thinks…" 

"Yeah…" The rest of her words died in the air. 

If this was a threat she and Matt were in big trouble.

But if it was a peace offering…

They both stared at the necklaces, each wondering if they had unwittingly formed an unholy alliance; an alliance that just might come back to haunt them all.

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	5. The Ties That Bind

The Ties That Bind

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

Part five in the series

For those of you who are familiar with my writings may recognize this as being very similar to "The Moment". Well there's a reason for that… it is. I actually wrote this one first and then put it on the shelf (along with the rest of this series) until I decided it was time to finish what I started. Anyway it's a bit tamer than The Moment and different enough that I think it still a good read. You be the judge.

Hope you like and happy reading!

***** ***** *****

Goliath stood alone on the balcony of Elisa's apartment. It had been over a week since he'd been able to spend anytime with Elisa. Ever since they had discovered John Castaway was indeed Jon Canmore, Elisa had been working no stop on trying to figure out a way to get to him before Demona did. The Clan was working nightly patrols of the areas frequented by Quarrymen but Canmore had yet to show himself. 

Goliath knew it was weighing heavy on her mind. She had opened herself to him but at the same time she was still keeping her distance. She felt their connection brought an added danger to the Clan and didn't want to do anything that might threaten them… or him. Sometimes, while he was on patrol, he could feel her presence in the city. He knew when she was happy, when she was thinking of him and he missed her sorely.

But lately… he found himself wanting more and it bothered him.

He'd finished his patrol early, and returned to the castle long enough to ensure that the others were safe. Tonight Brooklyn and Broadway were checking the airports to see if Demona had returned while Angela and Lexington watched Nightstone Unlimited. So far there was nothing. 

He'd seen Matt earlier and he'd informed him that Elisa had "called in sick" tonight. Not quite grasping what Matt was getting at he'd gone to her apartment to check on her. When he arrived, he found no one home and was troubled that something might have happened to her. He was beginning to think something had and was about to leave to find the others when the light flicked on in the apartment. He stepped back into the shadows for a moment and waited. 

Elisa walked in with a grocery bag in her arms. She set it on the counter of the kitchen and ran her fingers through long black hair. She looked as she were pondering what to do next. 

Goliath remained silent, watching her.

He observed as she unpacked the contents of the bag; candles, a bottle of wine, and a few other items. She quickly moved about the room, setting candles around and then walked over to the stereo systems and fiddled with the controls. 

Soon, soft music replaced the quiet and once again, Elisa was moving about the room, adjusting the furniture and such. She disappeared into another room and returned with a blanket and several large pillows. Spreading the blanket out on the floor, she tossed the pillows down and returned to the kitchen for the wine and two glasses. 

Returning to the living room she began moving about, lighting the candles and dimming the lights. It quickly occurred to Goliath that she was expecting him; she knew he would be coming. He felt his heart swell and he smiled at the woman before him.

Elisa tensed and stood still, distinctly aware of his presence. She turned to the window just as he stepped into the light. Walking over, she opened the doors and smiled at him, "I was wondering how long you were going to stay out there."

"Matt said you were ill…"

"A 24 hour thing, I'm fine now." He looked at her with concern as she smiled again, "Really… I'm fine." She walked up and wrapped her hands behind his neck to kiss him and felt him tense slightly, "What's wrong?"

Goliath remained quiet, not trusting his voice and afraid she might hear the unsteadiness in his voice. He had been on the edge before, the edge of panic, and hadn't realized how worried he'd been until just that moment. So afraid something had happened to her, so relieved when he knew she was all right. Instead of speaking he leaned down to kiss her softly.

She opened herself to him, trying to feel what was building inside him, but nothing was clear. Something had frightened him and it didn't take long for her to figure out what. She held him close, as if to reassure him, she was really there; that she was OK.

She didn't speak as she led him into the living room. The lights were low and the candles flickered slightly from the breeze of the open balcony door.

She stood before him, tracing her fingers over his chest. Her touch made his wings twitch slightly. He could feel her heart beat increase, even though they were nearly a foot apart. His sensitivity to the Bond had increased and it was almost second nature to him now. It was as if her heartbeat was somehow linked to his. He pulled her closer and wrapped her in his wings, needing to feel her close against his skin.

It felt different from the other times he had held her. She seemed to radiate energy as if her body was charged with electricity. The need to have her physically near him was stronger than it had ever been, yet at the same time, it reminded him of something from long ago. A memory faded with time but the feelings remained strong. He was trembling now, as was she. He was uncertain how to proceed but felt his instincts beginning to take over. He was fighting to restrain himself and lost as to what to do. 

He looked down at her and saw only trust and love in her eyes, and with that one look, his body made the decision his mind failed to make. He pulled her down to the floor and settled with his back against the couch and her by his side. 

Elisa continued to trace her fingers up and down his lavender chest. It had a familiar feel… it reminded her vaguely of the tightly stretched leather on the ceremonial drum her father had when she was a child. She could feel the peculiar beating of his heart. His breathing was slowly increasing, coming out in ragged grasps. She took a deep breath, savoring his sent, it still smelled of leather and stone after a summer rain. She knew this was where she belonged. It felt like home.

Goliath tipped her head back to kiss her again, now well versed with this human custom. He was lost in his own thoughts of her, the softness of her skin on his, the touch of her hands over him. Her sable hair smelled of strawberries but underneath that there was another sent; erotic and powerful. He once again felt himself wanting… needing… more.

The passion was increasing between them, moving in a directing they'd never attempted before. Elisa felt the roaring in her ears and mind increase, the sound of white noise from Goliath's mind. His thoughts were as jumbled as hers were so she allowed them to over take her own. Goliath was more accepting of the Bond, but for her is was still very new. 

Sometimes it was almost overwhelming but she was learning to compensate, trying to make it a part of her. From time to time, an image would come to her causing confusion since especially if she felt it wasn't one of her own. When he was close she occasionally picked up random thoughts directed to her. 

Unlike Goliath, it was never a premeditated effort on her part, rather it was something that sort of just… happened. 

At times she was envious of Goliath's ability to control their bond. For him it seemed easy, like flicking a light switch on or off. Then again, it also seemed to be more of a gargoyle trait and she was somehow picking up on the tail end of it. 

Elisa felt him push her away slightly, to look deep into her eyes. It was as if he were looking into her very soul. His black eyes were smoldering and she looked away self-consciously. She reached over and lifted the wine and glasses from a near by table and handed Goliath the bottle. She was about to hand him the corkscrew, but realize he didn't need it. 

With a soft poke of a talon he popped the cork from the bottle. 

Elisa cocked an eye at him and held out the glasses. "That's a handy little trick," she said softly.

As he poured the wine, the music played softly in the background. She took one glass and handed him the other. They tapped crystal flutes lightly and the sound seemed to echo softly in with the music. Goliath gazed at her over his glass, the wine was sweet on his lips and made his head buzz slightly.

He let his eyes run over her face and down her body. She wore a light blue button up blouse with light colored slacks. It was a different look from her normal work attire, more casual and relaxed. The sleeves were rolled up a bit to expose the lower part of her arms. She had kicked off her shoes earlier and he marveled at the smallness of her feet. They seemed fragile somehow and he knew from first hand experience how fragile humans could be. How different they were… 

"Not so different…" Elisa whispered softly.

Goliath nodded absently; instinctively knowing once again she'd picked up his thoughts. 

He quickly tried to shut his mind down. He didn't want to push, but the images entering his mind were becoming harder to control and he didn't with to alarm her. Never before had a woman captured him as she had.

Elisa felt the sudden separation from him, as if a part of her brain had become disconnected. For a moment she panicked. She ultimately concluded he was shielding himself and had a pretty good idea why. 

"Goliath," She said softly. When he didn't respond, she set her glass down and repeated his name a bit louder, "Goliath."

Hearing her speaking his name pulled him out of his introspection but he refused to look her. 

"Don't shut me out… not tonight…" she implored.

The anguish in her voice brought nearly brought tears to his eyes, "You know not of what you ask…"

She lifted his head so he could see her. So he could look into her eyes and understand what it was she was about to say to him, "Yes… I do…"

He searched her eyes, praying for a reason to keep the barrier; knowing he wouldn't find one. As he expected they were true to him but beneath he saw a pain and it hurt him to know that by cutting himself off he had put it there. Slowly he lifted the mental wall he'd erected and felt the change as her heart beat fluttered slightly. He felt his own hearts struggle to meet hers, knowing they might never beat as one physically… but did so in spirit. 

She shifted around and took his glass from him setting it on the near by table. He expected her to return to her original position. When she raised up slightly and straddled the lower part of his body he became alarmed.

"Elisa…" He protested but she ignored him by leaning in and kissing him softly on the brow, the eyes, the bridge of his nose, and finally resting on his lips. 

"Trust me…" she whispered between kisses, "I'll always be there to catch you…"

She began cautiously, building slowly. Running her fingers through his hair and over the ridges of his head she traced the outlines of his face with her hands. Goliath felt his misgivings slipping away, being pulled from him by her gentle touch. He relaxed as the sensations and soft kisses continued. Her lips tasted of the wine and he hungered for more.

The last of his protests slipped away as he raised his arms to touch her tentatively on the shoulders. When she didn't flinch at the contact, he became bolder, moving them down her arms, caressing her delicately. Stopping to grasp her hands, he brought them to his lips, kissing them and rubbing them to his cheek. 

The CD player clicked softly as the discs shuffled around. The music continued, but Goliath heard none of it. He was lost in the magic of the moment, and didn't want to focus on anything but the woman before him.

His Elisa. 

Elisa slowly leaned back from him, as this was the moment of truth. She knew if she stopped now, she might not have the courage to continue, or worse, she might not ever get a second chance. Slowly she pulled her hands from his, and began unbuttoning her blouse. 

Goliath reached up to stop her progression. The hurt look on her face made him realize she was misinterpreting his actions. He brought her arms back down to her sides and smiled at her. After a momentary pause he raised his talons to her shoulders and slowly, almost deliberately, he moved to the buttons of her blouse. 

With a slight tremble he began to finish what she had started. 

Elisa's breathing was coming in short bursts and she knew if she wasn't careful she was going to start hyperventilating. She closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing but was having little luck.

When Goliath finished he lowered his arms and gazed upon her. The shirt was still partially closed but it exposed enough to make him want more. Carefully, he brought his arms back up and slipped the blouse from her shoulders… and stopped once again.

Elisa opened her eyes carefully when she felt him stop and was surprised to find him just looking at her. She wondered for a moment about what he was looking at, what he might be seeing. She cocked her head slightly, "What's wrong?"

He didn't speak as he was in awe. He just sat there listening but not hearing; looking, but not really seeing. He let his gaze roll over her body, noting the softness of her skin, the way her chest rose and fell with her breathing, he could almost see the pulse of her blood in the veins of her neck. Then his eyes went to the scar high up on her chest. He knew there was another, smaller vertical surgical incision, near the base of her spine … where they removed the bullet from her.

He flashed to that night. Owen Burnett standing on the parapet of the castle to inform him she'd been shot. Of seeing her lying helpless on the hospital… of learning it was not Anthony Dracon who had almost killed her, but Broadway. 

__

So fragile…

Elisa heard his thoughts but they made no sense to her so she looked at him in bewilderment. At first she had no idea what had caused his jumbled burst to be sent out to her. Then she looked down to see what he was seeing. 

The scar. 

She raised his talons to the scar and when he hesitated, she pressed slightly, "It's OK Goliath, it's a part of me now… a part of who I am…" 

He finally allowed her to lead him, to guide him to the point on her body that was causing such anguish for him, "See?" she said softly, "I'm still here… I'm not going anywhere… "

He traced it slowly, with great care, and love. He allowed his hands to develop a mind of their own as they began moving over her body. He gently caressed her breasts, cupping one in his large claw, then rubbed a talon over the hardening nipple. 

With Demona passion had been distant and detached; somewhat forced and felt like a small, cold burning fire. With Elisa it was open, heated, but coated with a thick layer of tenderness.

Elisa tried to stifle a soft moan but it somehow managed to escape her lips. Goliath watched her in wonder as he continued his gentle caress. It was magical to see the changes coming over her by his touch, the way she responded to his actions. To know she truly trusted, needed… and wanted him. 

The sensations caused goose flesh to break out over Elisa's exposed flesh and she shuddered. She felt the long forgotten feelings of passion building within her. The dull ache of knowing what she wanted, and having it so very close. She listened to the soft voice of love, long thought non-existent, coming to life. She groaned softly, arching her back slightly and reached back to unclasp her bra and set it off to the side.

Goliath pulled her to him. The feeling of flesh on flesh for the first time with her, however limited it might become, was intoxicating. He ran his talons over her back and down to the base of her spine and felt the need building in him again. "Elisa…" he gasped out, "Perhaps we should stop…"

She closed her eyes and leaned in, kissing his neck. She stopped for a moment breathing heavily into his throat, "I want this…but if you don't want…"

Goliath's soft laughter told her he certainly did not want to stop. He brought her up higher on his chest and kissed her deeply, nuzzling at her neck. She felt his tail begin tracing small circle on her back, causing a whole new batch of goose flesh to break out on her.

She also felt something else. Something she hadn't noticed before and it didn't take long for her to realize the effect she was having on him. She shifted around on him trying to position herself. Between her slacks and Goliath's belt, something was going to have to give. 

Unable to get comfortable she murmured, "Hmmm…I think… maybe… we do need to stop…" Goliath reluctantly released his hold on her and she rolled off him and stood, fumbling with her belt.

She didn't think he would move quite so fast but suddenly he was standing before her.

"Allow me…" Slowly he pulled loose the belt of her pants and moved large hands to the button of her slacks. She felt a cool breeze as her slacks slipped down around her ankles. As she stepped lightly out of the pants she looked up to see Goliath gazing upon her again. 

She stood before him, clad only small cotton panties. He knelt before her and pulled them down, pushing them over her hips and down her legs. She stepped daintily out of them as he took in a deep breath and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. He lightly kissed the scar on her chest, whispering her name into her soft flesh. He felt her raised her hands to stroke the back of his head lovingly.

They stood like that for some time, and slowly she pulled him to his feet. She tugged at his belt not understanding why the stupid thing was not coming off until finally he assisted her. He tossed the belt to the side and the loincloth fell to the floor. They now stood completely naked before each other.

Elisa looked down coyly, and was taken back for a moment. She looked up quickly and was greeted by Goliath's bemused expression, "Not quiet what you expected?" he inquired.

"No… yes… ahhh…" she stammered and tried to compose herself. She figured he'd be big but not quite like this, "Maybe not 'exactly' what I expected…"

He pulled her to him, feeling the beat of her heart. He could actually hear it in his mind. The sound made him feel warm and lightheaded. "Elisa, if you have any concerns… We don't have to…"

"Yes we do… I do…"

"Why?"

"Because I doubt I could stop even if I wanted to…" She placed her arms around him and leaned into his chest. She slowly caressed the area where his wings joined his back. She was struggling to find the words she wanted to say but nothing seemed to fit. 

Finally she settled on the words she never dreamed she'd say and truly mean them, "I…I love you… I think I always have…" she whispered. 

White noise burst to life in her mind, causing her to stagger and she might have fallen had Goliath not been holding her. She knew the connection they had was sometimes overwhelming for her, but this upheaval was different. It was now crystal-clear and it vibrated down to her very soul. The images in her mind became clear, the jumble was now understandable, and she found it easy to distinguish between her thoughts and Goliath's. 

She felt Goliath's muscles twitch and his wings quickly engulfed them both.

The link… bond… was no longer a random occurrence for her. She now understood the extent of their connection. By admitting to him how she felt, she had bridged the elusive gap. 

The Bond was now truly a part of her.

Goliath pulled her even closer, holding her tightly as the words rang in his ears. A second after she spoke the words, her heart did beat in time with his. It took a few minutes for it to return to normal, but even now, it still raced to beat with his. He felt her breath, warm against his skin. He was lost in how extraordinary it felt to actually know and feel a heartbeat that wasn't his own. 

Slowly he guided them both to the floor, he on his back with his wings still wrapped firmly about them. He loosened his grasp slightly so that she might be able to move about. They quietly moved into the positions they were in before, with her straddling his lower body. She bent and slowly laid small kisses down his chest. 

She looked up at him, needing to see his face in the dim light. His eyes were closed but he had a gentle smile on his face. One arm held her in a loose hug, tracing his talons up and down her back while the other opened and closed in a reflexive reaction to what she was doing to him. She continued with the light kisses, running her fingers up and down his chest, slowly moving down towards his groin.

When she finally touched him, he sucked in a sharp breath and arched his body to her. She slowly wrapped her hand around his hard erection, noting her fingers barely touched when she fully grasped it. 

She felt Goliath's claw on the side of her head and her heart skipped a beat, "Elisa…" he whispered as she looked at him. He still had his eyes closed but she knew he could see her in his mind. She smiled again and returned her attention to him. 

It wasn't so much the size that made him different. Overall it was much like a… man… but different. The color was much the same as the rest of him, with the tip being a bit darker than the rest. He didn't have the crown the way human men did, rather it merely tapered at the tip and was crooked away from him rather than to him. She continued to trace a finger around him, stroking and teasing him lightly. 

Goliath clinched talons tightly, holding on to nothingness. Her touch was becoming too much for him, and he murmured, "Come to me…" 

He lifted her onto him and she slowly slid down on him. She gasped and another moan escaped her lips as he entered her for the first time. 

He halted his movements as a look of concern crossed over his face. He had no desire to hurt her and it occurred to him this might not even be possible; the joining of Human and Gargoyle. "Are you alright?" he inquired. 

Elisa was breathing heavily, "Don't you even think about stopping…" she warned.

The pressure was enormous. It had been years since her body had know a lover and over a thousand for him. She was much tighter than he expected and he took great care as not to hurt her. As she became accustom to his size, she slid down a bit more. After several minutes she had taken as much of him as her body would allow and they were joined as one. Neither moved, taking in all the sensations they were receiving from each other. 

Goliath could feel her heart racing and her breathing rapid. Emotions poured out from her and he received them all with open arms. Love poured out clearer than the rest and that was the one he held to the tightest, never wanting to let it go. Knowing he would never have to.

For Elisa it was the most earth shattering feeling she'd ever experienced. Never before had someone, anyone, taken such care in loving her. She carefully reached out for her lover's thoughts and found it easy to make the connection. His mind was a blank slate, save for one bright shining light. In it she found only herself and it warmed her. 

Slowly she began to rock, her mind reeling as the passion built within her. She felt his claws at her hips slowly guiding her movements and creating a delightful friction. She felt the need threatening to over take her and gasped again in an attempt to catch her breath.

Goliath rose slightly as if to sit up and she shifted to wrap her legs around him. With his tail he traced at the small of her back. She reeled in the perception that if she'd had wings this would be where his tail was now tracing small movements… much the same way she had done to him earlier. It was an extraordinary erotic feeling. Their eyes locked and in an instant all that would ever need to be said passed between the two of them. 

It was a moment most never find, but somehow, despite everything that threatened to tear them apart… they had found it together.

Their climax came in the form of an explosion that took them both by surprise. Elisa's cry was all but lost in Goliath's subdued roar. In an instant, she found her own image locked in her mind and wondered if this was how Goliath saw her. 

In the same instant Goliath was shocked by what he was seeing. Elisa's eyes had a red glow about them, not a steady color, flashes really. He knew it couldn't be a normal human reaction… but it was the reaction of… a Gargoyle. He blinked, and caught her staring at him in wonderment. 

Resting her head against his, she panted, "Godallmighty…" 

He was at a loss for words, "Elisa..." he murmured quietly.

"Was that…" she paused attempting to catch her breath, "Is that…how… it always… is for you?" she asked in a shaky voice.

He finally found his own voice strong enough to speak, "No…This was… something else…something more…" 

Elisa leaned back to look at him, mystified. He cocked his head and looked at her gravely, "Elisa, something has happened. Something I cannot explain…"

"What is there to explain… you just completely rocked my…" she paused as the image came back to her mind in a flash. She now saw what Goliath had seen in her moments before, and it stunned her; she had seen herself through his eyes. "Oh my God…"

"It is something I didn't think… didn't know… was possible…"

The music played on in the background but neither said anything for a very long time. Their lovemaking had brought about unforeseen changes. They realized for the first time how rare, unique, their connection was. 

Elisa was stunned. It was more than she thought, or even dreamed, she might be a part of. It was more than commitment; it was a tie, a connection, never to be broken. An emptiness she hadn't known she had was suddenly filled. In Elisa's mind the only explanation was for it was… love.

Love in its purest form.

They remained locked in the feeling for some time. She smiled at him, tears welling up in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly. Goliath, for his part just held her, allowing the wave of emotions to roll over them both. 

Her voice was muffled, "I never thought…" 

He echoed the words she said to him earlier, "I'm here… and I'm not going anywhere."

Elisa felt her need growing again, stronger than before and she was surprised to feel Goliath still erect within her. It was as if he was picking up on her desire and she quickly realized he was. He made no movement, not pressing her for more, allowing her to take control, to lead them wherever they might go next. She shifted around, trying to pull him over on to her without withdrawing from him. 

"Elisa," Goliath began, "I'll crush you…"

"Not if we do this right." She teased lightly.

He rose up, holding her, careful not to release his grip. He rested her on her back and supported himself on his arms over her. She spread her legs a bit farther apart to give him more room and wrapped her fingers around his neck. Slowly he started to move within her. His movements were slow and cautious.

"I'm not going to break…" she said between gasps.

"Yes, but I might…" He increased his stoke slightly and felt the now familiar burning need building once again. He was uncertain if the emotions were his own or Elisa's, since the two were still so interconnected. He slowed his movements, allowing the sensations time to build independently. He lowered his head and nipped lightly at her neck, allowing his kisses to linger on her lips. Their lovemaking was slower this time, more practiced, as if they had been at this point a thousand times before.

She moved her hands from behind his neck and traced the outlines of his face, stopping on his lips. Holding his face in her hands she carefully slipped her tongue into his mouth, licking lightly at his teeth, feeling the points of his fangs, carefully exploring his mouth. She heard the low grumble in his throat, indicating that what she was doing was provoking stronger feelings to build within him. He increased his movements again, thrusting harder but still taking care not to injure her.

Perhaps it was the Bond that allowed him to know what she wanted or just his desire to please her. He knew only that he wanted the feeling to last. He felt her legs wrap around him, pulling him tighter to her.

She cried out his name over and over, professing her love, her need for him. Upon hearing this he increased his actions, trying to stay focused but loosing himself in the moment. The eruption this time was as powerful as the first but carried more emotion. 

Elisa moaned in ecstasy, barely able to speak, but needing to tell him what was in her heart, "Forever… you are in my heart forever, Goliath…"

As he heard the words on her lips, he pulled her closer, whispering in her ear, "What you have brought to my life is so precious and so beautiful… I may not be worthy of such a gift…"

Elisa pulled back and looked into his eyes, "Listen to me Big Guy. Don't you ever say or think that again… not ever. You are my life…" 

Goliath pulled her close, needing to feel her body against him, "Whatever I am, whatever I have, it is yours. Now and forever…"

He could feel her tears on his chest and neck and realized they were mixing with his own as they held tightly to each other. Holding on as if they would never let go. 

Holding on so that this night might not ever end.

***** ***** *****

They remained on the floor through out the night. Elisa drifting off to sleep periodically, Goliath holding her in his arms, the comfort of the quiet music still playing in the dark, the candles burning low.

Elisa stirred slightly and traced a lazy finger over his chest, "Hmmm…you awake?"

"Yes."

"Not sleepy?" she inquired.

"A bit… but not overly so…"

She was curled beside him with her head on his chest. She shifted around slightly and Goliath allowed her to get more comfortable. He was now leaning against the couch with Elisa between his legs, her back resting against his chest. 

They sat in the quiet, Goliath running his talons through her hair, as she traced the edges of his legs. "We can't go back… to the way we were before." She whispered.

"No, we cannot…"

"Any regrets?" she asked.

"Only that we did not do this sooner." 

She smiled in the dark, "Yeah well, you and me both…" She was silent again. "Goliath… there is something I don't get…" 

"Nor do I…Just know what happened tonight was singular, unique…" 

"And changes everything." She added. 

"Yes, it does change much…" he agreed. 

They spoke of the situation, though much of the discussion was hypothesis. Neither had any idea what the extent to the Bond was. Their concern was compounded by the fact they had no frame of reference to gauge their connection by. 

Goliath never bonded with Demona and Elisa was human. Bonding, in this way, was not a human trait, of that Elisa was certain. Adding to the mix; this was a Human/Gargoyle Bond. Something totally new.

There was also the matter of the unexpected changes in Elisa. They had always acknowledged there could be an inherent danger to their relationship but her reaction to their lovemaking was something Goliath hadn't anticipated or even thought possible. In fact he didn't even think it was possible between Gargoyles. He could not even think of a single instance when it might have happened in the past, much less to the degree it was happening to them. 

Exactly how much more would…or could… change? Elisa seriously doubted she start sprouting wings or anything that drastic, but if something more were to happen… if word were to get out… Neither of them would be safe but the risk was higher for her. Goliath pulled her to him as if to ward off the very concept of potential danger and they both sat lost in thought. 

"Do you… feel any different?" she inquired.

He thought about her question and settled on, "Stronger… and you?"

"I feel…" she yawned sleepily and drifted off before finishing the sentence.

Goliath sat in the dark, feeling the beat of her heart. Periodically it would change its pattern and beat in time with his. He allowed his arms to hold her tighter, tracing small lines down her arms, causing her to pull in tighter to him, a reflex response to his touch. He shifted slightly not wishing to wake her and wrapped his wings around them in a protective cocoon, and drifted off to dream with his love. Keeping them both warm and safe from the outside world.

***** ***** *****

Elisa felt Goliath stir, "What time is it?" she murmured.

He kissed her softly on the top of the head, "Dawn will be approaching soon…" 

She was quite, lost in the thought that he would soon have to leave her. She knew he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Finally he spoke, "I do not wish to leave you…"

"Then don't," She said quickly, as it was what she was hoping he'd say. She would have felt guilty asking, knowing she'd be pulling him from the Clan, but she just couldn't bear the thought of him not being close after tonight, "I know it can't be like this always, but tonight…well… I'm glad you want to stay…"

He chuckled softly, realizing he'd been doing a lot of that in recent days. "The others will be worried…"

"Hmmm, I have an idea." She stumbled slightly when she rose and Goliath started to rise in alarm, but she waived him off, "It's nothing… just a bit sore…" she said ruefully.

"Because of…"

She knew where he was going and stopped him before he could get the words out, "No, not because of you… not really… It's just been awhile…" He looked at her in confusion, so she left it at, "It's a woman thing." 

She wrapped up in the blanket and walked into the kitchen. When she returned she had the cordless phone with her and quickly dialed a number and waited for someone to answer. 

"Whom are you calling?" he inquired.

"I'm telling them you'll be sleeping over," she said smugly. She was about to speak again when someone on the other line picked up.

A woman's voice answered, "Hi Elisa." 

She had no idea who just picked up the phone but it damn sure wasn't who she expected, "Who is this?"

"It's Angela." The voice on the other side responded.

Elisa held the phone away from her head for a moment, "Angela?"

Goliath responded much the same way, "Angela?"

Elisa held up a hand indicating for him to be quite as she spoke into the receiver, "I was expecting Xanatos or Owen… What are you doing using the phone? And how did you know it was me?"

Angela's voice came over the line, "Xanatos hooked a phone line up in the Great Hall with this Caller ID thingy. He said it was because Owen was tired of taking messages from Matt looking for Lex. I saw it was you so I figured it was safe to answer."

Elisa was speechless… The Gargoyles were using the phones now. Things had changed. 

Angela continued, "Father isn't here… I'm not sure where he is… I thought he went to check on you, Matt said you were sick…Is everything alright?"

That broke Elisa from her reprieve, "I'm fine… a 24 hour thing I think…I know Goliath's not there, he's here with me. I doubt he'll make it back by dawn and we didn't want anyone to worry."

Angela let out a bemused laugh, "Really…? Well… OK…I'll let the others know. Did you need to talk to anyone else?"

"Nope, that was it. I'll be by tomorrow night and we can talk then."

"Sure," she replied, "Hope you feel better…" Angela raised her voice slightly, "Good night Father."

Elisa clicked the phone off before any thing else could be yelled through the line, "I guess you heard most of that?"

"Yes…" he grumbled, "I don't know that I like this… telephone… idea…"

Elisa, not wanting for the night to be ruined by Xanatos, quickly shifted the subject away from him, phones, and anything else that might make Goliath change his mind about staying. She pulled the blanket back around her and started to stand, "Well, I don't know about you but I'm starving… Hungry?"

Goliath looked at her and gently pulled her back to the floor with him, "Yes, I am…"

Elisa returned his kiss deeply… at least his mind was off Xanatos and the phone… and in a flash so was hers.

***** ***** *****

They stood on the balcony. She was still wrapped in the blanket, but Goliath was once again wearing his belt and loincloth. He seemed almost uncomfortable with it on as he stood behind her with both claws resting on her shoulders. His tail was wrapped around her ankle in a casual manner, as if they always stood like this waiting for sunrise.

Elisa shifted around to look at him. This night had been magical for her and she was trying to find the world to put it all in. She finally settled on, "Tonight…"

Goliath looked down at her and smiled, "As it was for me…" If there was any doubt, they were bonded it had long sense passed. He held her close, breathing in her sent. He tightly held her, feeling the beat of her heart for one last time. 

"It is time…" He moved away and knelt down on one knee to great the dawn. Looking over his shoulder at her, he smiled softly, "Sleep well…" 

"I'll see you soon." She replied.

The sun caught him just as she finished the words. 

__

My Love… he'd somehow managed to get one last thought out before the transformation took him

She stood there with him on the balcony, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face. She rested a hand on his stone form, the instant the sun took him, she lost all sense of him in her mind. She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the head, "I love you too." She doubted he heard but she felt better for having said it.

She turned and walked back into the apartment to feed Cagney.

***** ***** *****

Elisa stood on the balcony once again. This time the sun was dipping lower in the sky instead of stealing away the night. Cagney was curled up on Goliath's stone form, napping in the last bit of sunlight. She gently lifted him off and dropped him to the ground, deciding there was no point in traumatizing the poor thing when his current perch awoke without warning.

She watched as the last light disappeared from the sky and shifted her gaze to the stone form now coming to life before her. His roar echoed out over the night and realized how much she enjoyed watching him awaken and for a brief moment she longed for the days of the skiff, when they were together all the time.

Their bond erupted to life as soon as he awoke. He turned to her and immediately took her in his arms. Drawing her into him, wrapping her in his embrace. "Such a welcome sight…" he lifted her slightly and brought her to his lips.

She opened herself to him in the closeness. They stood like that for an extended moment in time until she finally broke from him, "Better stop Big Guy, no point of starting something we can't finish…"

"For now…" Goliath released her, and stepped away. "For now."

"You hungry?" she asked.

"No, I should be going…"

"OK, I'll come by the Castle later…" she turned to leave but Goliath caught her arm and peered at her, "What?" She was becoming alarmed by his actions

"What has happened?" He traced a talon down the side of her neck, "Are you injured?"

Elisa found herself blushing, "Ahh… no… That would be you."

He was confused, "Me?"

"Yeah, I don't know about gargoyles, but humans… well… sometimes we… mark easily…" He looked concerned, obviously not understanding at all and she blushed more because of it, "We call them hickeys… It happens when someone nips, or sucks on the skin. It'll go away in a day or two. I just noticed it myself a little while ago."

He looked at the marks closer, "Is it painful?"

She smirked, "Not nearly as much as the grief Matt's gonna give me about it…"

He seemed satisfied with her answer, and moved to leap from the balcony, "Very well. Do you wish me to bring you to the Castle later?"

Elisa held up the ID Xanatos gave her, the 'Golden Key' she thought of it, "No I have my own private pass..." She said with some disgust.

Goliath moved back to her to look at the object she held. He took the small card from her and a look of recognition came over his face, "I wondered why he asked for this…" he murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"The image of you."

"Goliath, what are you talking about?" 

"This." He said indicating the picture. 

She was shocked, "Where…When…? How did you get a picture of me?"

He handed back to her, "Look at it carefully, Elisa."

She took it back and looked at it with a detective's eye this time. In the lower right hand corner she saw a small blemish. On further examination she realized it wasn't a blemish at all, rather a number; a Roman numeral. The picture had been taken at the Clock Tower. She looked at him astonishment, "How?"

"Lexington. Matt gave him a…device to fix some time ago. He was testing it and you happened to be captured in the image, so he gave it to me."

Elisa was overwhelmed and touched. She remembered several months ago the crime scene digital camera was not working and Matt took it stating he knew someone who possibly could fix it. She had no idea he had given it to Lexington and even more shocked to know the young gargoyle had been using it. 

Goliath continued, "When we returned to the Castle, Xanatos inquired if I had a…" He paused struggling to remember the words Xanatos had used, "a photograph… of you. He wouldn't tell me why and I was reluctant to give it to him, but he assured me it was for you."

"I'll be damned…" She was stunned as she looked at Goliath, "I hate to think that I might owe him an apology…"

Goliath smiled, "Perhaps… but I doubt it… Xanatos apparently failed to tell you how he obtained it." He leaned over and kissed her lightly, "I will see you soon…"

She stood watching him fly off into the night, feeling very alone once he was gone. She tucked the ID back into her jacket, and left the balcony closing the doors behind her and moved to leave the apartment. She stopped in front of a mirror by the door and looked at the hickey again, "Matt is never gonna let me live this one down…" she murmured. 

She went to pick her keys up off the table near the door, noticing the Quarrymen necklace resting there as well. 

Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't told Goliath about it yet. 

She had planned to tell when they first received them but… She'd have to tell him tonight. Now that he wasn't distracted there was a good chance he'd pick up on it anyway. Perhaps he already knew and was waiting on her to tell him, though she seriously doubted it. There was no way he'd let this one slide. 

Flipping up the collar of her jacket in a vain attempt to hide the marks, she grabbed her keys from the table and headed out to work.

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	6. Home Coming

Home Coming

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

Part six in the series

Anyone you don't recognize belongs to me all the rest belong to the mighty Disney and I bow to the all powerful Mouse daily for creating such awesome characters for me to play with. Granted I still get no money but who am I to complain… as long as they don't sue.

Guess who's coming to dinner?

Hope you like and happy reading!

***** ***** *****

"Maza, my office. Now!"

Elisa ducked her head slightly at hearing her boss, Captain Maria Chavez, yell at her from across the 23rd Precinct. 

"Damn…" she muttered. She was hoping to slip out of the station without being snared. So far it had been a good plan, Matt wasn't in yet and for the most part, none of the other officers or detectives had even taken notice of her. Lifting the collar of her jacket, she grabbed several files and headed to Chavez's office.

Captain Chavez appraised Elisa carefully as she walked in the door, "Feeling better?"

Elisa forced a cough, "Ah… yeah. Much better. Must have been a 24 hour thing..." She coughed again just for good measure and sat down in a near by chair, waiting to see that her boss wanted. Unconsciously she kept tugging at the collar of her jacket. 

"Are you alright Detective?" Chavez asked cautiously.

"No… Yes… just a… It's nothing." Elisa replied lamely.

"Fine." Chavez nodded her head, not wanting to get into the subject any further than Elisa wanted to let her in on. She had other matters to clear up so she waited until Elisa finally found something better to focus on than the collar of her jacket, "What's the status of the Canmore case?"

"Well… nothing. He hasn't shown anywhere and no one has seen him." Elisa began. "He still has a few ties to people in Scotland…"

She handed Captain Chavez a file, "I think it's possible he might have felt the state or, more likely, the country." 

Elisa hated lying to her boss but the truth was not exactly an option at this point. There was no way she could explain how she discovered the leader of the anti-gargoyle movement was the former hunter without looking like she was trying to discredit an, up to this point, law-abiding group with no real evidence to support her allegation. 

Captain Chavez had the distinct feeling Maza was holding out, but said nothing. She leafed through the file, "Have all the interviews be completed?"

Elisa spoke carefully, "For the most part…"

Chavez stopped on the witness list comparing it to the list of statements. "I don't see a statement from Reading…" A look of concern crossed her face as she glanced up, "Where is it?"

Elisa almost flinched, "Well, I did see her…" It wasn't a complete lie, but it defiantly toed the line.

"And? What did she have to say?"

"Not much…" _Still not a lie yet_, Elisa thought to herself.

"Detective…" Captain Chavez's patience was growing slim, "Did you or did you not interview this woman?" 

"Yes… No… "Elisa shifted uneasily in the chair, "Well, I didn't exactly interview her…" 

Captain Chavez eyed the woman and frowned, "So what's the problem?"

Elisa stood up and paced in front of the desk, "No problem, she didn't have anything to say." 

Again not an out and out lie since the woman didn't have much to say, at least not to her. 

"I didn't see a reason to kill a tree for a statement that essentially said nothing." Elisa knew she was now beyond the point of toeing the line and suddenly had a great desire to get out of the Captain's office. She felt like the walls were closing in on her.

Chavez observed the woman, it was like watching a caged animal, "Fine," Elisa turned quickly with a surprised look on her face. "If you say you've done all you can with this... it's not like I don't have other things for you to work on right now." 

She placed the documents back in to the file and handed it back to Elisa, "I had a feeling we might not get much on this anyway. We'll leave it open in case any federal agencies need information from us… In the mean time, forward what you have to the FBI and Interpool and check back with them to see if they have anything new to report." 

To Elisa the words hurt more than her Captain would ever know and she came close to telling the woman everything but in the end held her tongue.

Chavez thought Elisa had something else on her mind. Something looked different about her, something about the way she carried herself. Chavez dismissed the notion for the time being, "I dropped some cases on your desk… Let me know when you're done reviewing them and have an Ops Plan ready..." 

Elisa looked as if she was relieved to be dismissed and turned to leave. Only then did Captain Chavez catch sight of what the detective was trying to cover earlier.

"Maza…" she called out.

Elisa turned slowly, "Yeah Cap?"

Chavez lowered her head to review a file, "A little base will cover that…" 

Even with her head down, she could see the Detective turn a bright shade of red but she had the good sense to wait until after Elisa left to burst out laughing. 

Apparently the rumors about the Detective 2nd Class were wrong; she did have a social life.

***** ***** *****

Lexington looked the clock for the fifth time, where the heck were they? He was starving. Angela had promised to bring him something to eat after running a short patrol with Broadway and Brooklyn and he hoped she hadn't forgotten him. He may not have Broadway's appetite but he still needed to eat.

He sat there tapping away at the keys of the computer killing some time until the others returned. After a minimal amount of effort he was back in the Nightstone Unlimited database. Elisa had warned him to stay out and he told himself it was just going to be for a minute or two, but thirty minutes went by and he found himself sifting through a massive amount of data.

__

This is new, he thought to himself… He clicked a few other icons and the screen came alive. _What the…? _ "Oh no…"

"Lexington!" Angela landed just outside the Great Hall and ran into the room, "We got big problems…"

Lexington looked at the screen, "I know…"

***** ***** *****

Elisa saw Matt sitting at his desk as she walked back to hers. She figured he must have come in while she was in her meeting with Captain Chavez. Since Chavez had made it a point of mentioning the hickey, she saw no point in trying to hide it as Matt was bound to see it eventually. 

"Evening Partner…"

Matt looked up at her as she approached and was about to hand he a file when a broad smile started to spread across his face. "Holy hell! What the heck is that thing?"

"Shut up, Matt." Elisa spoke good naturedly to him as she sat down at her desk. There was no way he was going to let this slide, but it didn't mean she had to make it easy for him.

"Elisa…"

"I'm warning you Matt…" She paused long enough to pick up her coffee mug and moved to fill it, "Don't talk to me. Don't look at me. In fact, don't even think at me. Just shut your eyes and think about winning the lottery, the Illuminati, or whatever it is you do to keep your little mind occupied…"

"But…" He was tying to control himself but having no luck what so ever and shook his head ruefully, "Jesus Partner…"

Elisa gave him a warning glare as she returned to her desk and sat down, "And you're still talking to me because…?"

"Man, you are such a grouch this evening…", Matt stood and walked around to her desk, attempting to get a closer look at her neck, "Did you have a chance to see a doctor or is that how the whole thing got started?"

She reached over and shoved him back, "Get away from me…" she murmured. Other officers in the area were beginning to look at the pair, "Keep it down, will ya?" 

Matt stood there with a wide grin on his face, "I had no idea you had contracted a case of 24 hour Leprosy…" 

"You keep smiling like that and the top of your head is gonna fall off." She began flipping though some of the files piled up on her desk, "What's on your agenda tonight?" she inquired, hoping that by ignoring the topic he might bring the questions and comments to an end.

"Come on Elisa, hickeys at your age? Very classy… It's like high school all over." He began laughing again and would have continued but his name was suddenly yelled out from across the room.

"Bluestone, my office. Now!"

Elisa stuck her tongue out at him as he turned to leave, "Serves you right… I hope she makes you stay after class."

***** ***** *****

Matt walked out twenty minutes later. From the look on his face, Elisa had the impression he'd had a conversation similar to hers with Chavez. She looked at him, the earlier teasing long forgotten, "That bad?"

"Naw, just the same old same old…" he leered at her over his desk. "You'll be happy to know Chavez is under the impression we might be sleeping together…" 

Elisa felt the color rise in her cheeks, "And just how did she come to that conclusion?"

Matt waived his had in an arbitrary manner, "Hell, I don't know…"

From his evasive answer Elisa had a pretty good idea he knew exactly how Captain Chavez might have gotten the idea, "I hate this shit…" she muttered. She quickly changed the subject again by tossing a file over on his desk, "If you're not busy with important GTF business, wanna go run a lead with me?"

"Where at?" he responded absently, his mind obviously not on the conversation.

"Big case…" Elisa's tone indicated there was more to it than she was letting on.

"What is it?"

"Indecent Exposure…"

That finally got his attention, "What?"

Elisa gave him a self righteous grin, "Someone has been flashing all his glory at people in Central Park and it's up to New York's Finest to put a stop to this...."

"And you are interested in this because…?"

"No reason, just an excuse to get out of the office before more rumors start flying all over the place…" She picked up several files and headed out the door. "Put a wiggle in it Bluestone and I might even let you drive..."

***** ***** *****

They drove though the park. Matt had ceased in his teasing since he was now about to be a part of the new office gossip. He had the good sense to not press Elisa for any of the details from her night off. It went without saying since he was relatively certain she wouldn't have told him anything anyway. She could be quite closed lipped about sharing information regarding her personal life. He looked at her sitting in the passenger seat, lost in thought, gazing out the window. He was about to break the silence when a chirping emitted from his pocket. 

Elisa shot a quick glance over at him, "I meant to ask you the other day, when did you get a cell phone?"

"When I quit answering pages from the Mayor. If you're lucky maybe you'll get one too." 

She grimaced, "I seriously doubt he wants to talk to me…"

He pulled it from his pocket and jabbed a key, "Bluestone…"

"Matt, it's Lex…"

Matt looked at the phone in surprise. "When did you start using the phone?"

"Is Elisa with you?"

"Yeah… when did you start using the phone Lex?"

Elisa tried to grab the phone from him, "Gimme that…"

"Wait your turn," he said pulling away as far as he could in the driver seat, "Lex, when did you…"

Lex cut him off, "Matt listen to me, you guys need to get over to LaGuardia…Fast…"

Elisa could hear bit and pieces of the conversation, and finally wrestled the phone from Matt, "Lex, it's me. What going on?"

"The Nightstone jet…It's there… now…"

"Christ… Are you sure?" she demanded. It was a stupid question she knew, but asked it anyway.

"Angela just got back… Brooklyn and Broadway are there now. We're waiting on Goliath and Hudson… They are still on patrol…"

"Damn it! You two stay put. Matt and I are on our way." she hung up the phone and was about to tell Matt to step on it but he was already way ahead of her. She opened the glove box and pulled a small police light and plugged the cord into the cigarette lighter. The lights came alive as they speed off into the night.

***** ***** *****

Demona was highly pissed to say the least. The plane had been delayed in California, nearly causing her to go through the transformation on the aircraft. She had made it to the roof of the building just in time and glanced at the shreds of her clothing lying about on the rooftop. Another designer suit down the drain. The human form gave her added mobility, but the transformation was hell on her wardrobe. 

"Puck…" she cursed the changeling for the hundredth time. "Pray you do not cross my path again soon."

Her only consolation was the knowledge that somewhere in the world MacBeth was suffering from a slight headache due to their magical connection that allowed one to feel the others pain. She spread her wings and let out a mighty shriek into the New York night. It felt good to be home as she took off into the night. She had much to accomplish tonight and hoped to bring an end to at least one of her irritating problems.

The Hunted was about to become the Hunter.

In her rush to begin the hunt, she failed to notice the two forms step out from the shadows.

***** ***** *****

They arrived at LaGuardia with a squeal of tires and lights blazing. Elisa jumped out before the car even came to a complete stop and flashed her badge at the first Airport Police Officer she found, "NYPD! Where are the private jets parked at?"

The officer escorted the pair to the secure area and Matt quickly scanned over the Lear Jets parked around the tarmac, "Over there, looks like the crew is about to leave."

The partners ran over to the aircraft bent on keeping the crew from leaving, "Where is she?" Elisa demanded.

The pilot looked up in shock but quickly composed himself, "Who?"

"Don't jerk me around." Elisa could feel her uneasiness building. Matt was giving her a strange look, but she didn't have time to ask him what he was looking at. Right now she needed to focus her attention on getting the information she need from the pilot, "Dominique Destine. Where is she?"

The man shrugged slightly, "Hey, I don't get paid to asked questions about my passengers… besides she took off as soon as we landed. Seemed to be in an awful hurry."

Elisa had no doubt that Demona was in a hurry. By her calculations the jet would have had to land just before sunset, "Which way did she go?" 

The man indicated a direction and they looked to see where he was pointing. There was a fire escape leading up to the roof of the building. Elisa let her gaze rise slowly, "Let's move."

It had taken several minutes for them to reach the top of the building. Elisa was impressed despite herself; Demona would have had to do this in a dress and heals. She was doing it in jeans and normal shoes and it was still not an easy task. Elisa knew from first hand experiences that even in Human form Demona retained some of her gargoyle agility.

They reached the rooftop and Elisa quickly scanned the area. There was a pile of rags that seemed to be out of place on the barren rooftop. She walked over and picked up the tatters; at one point it might have been a blue suit. She surveyed the rest of the scene as Matt walked up. He handed her a crumpled piece of paper, "Look at this." 

It was a popcorn bag with scrawled writing on one side. _Gone to follow B-B_

They had seen her… Demona was back.

***** ***** *****

They were crouched in the shadows, hiding in the darkness. Elisa spoke softly into the transmitter, "Do you see anything?"

Angela's voice came over the headset. The female gargoyle was up on the roof of the adjacent building looking into the Nightstone building, "Nothing, and there's no sign of Broadway or Brooklyn…"

They had picked up Angela before coming over to the building but Lexington was worried because Goliath and Hudson had not returned yet. Elisa considered waiting on them but decided against it since time was a luxury they didn't have right now. 

In the end she thought it best to leave Lex at the castle with Bronx in case they returned. Someone needed to be there to let them know what had happened. Elisa opened the link back up in hopes she might be able to pick Goliath up but instead found only emptiness. Either he was too far away, or else he had also closed himself off in order to stay focused on his patrols. 

In her mind that had to be it because she refused to consider any other option.

"Damn… I didn't think it would be that easy…" Matt muttered under his breath.

"Me either…" Elisa agreed, "Where else could she have gone?"

Angela's voice came back of the headset, "I don't think she came here…"

Elisa turned to Matt, "Could she know where to find Canmore…?"

Lexington's voice cut in, sounding small and tinny over the headset he wore at the castle, "No way. The Quarrymen database didn't have his location."

"Lex, is Goliath back?" Elisa was looking to the sky, hoping to see something.

"Not yet…"

Elisa heard Angela's breathing deepen and understood the young woman's fears since she had the same ones herself. _Where are you, Demona?_ W_here the hell are you_… 

"Keep looking, Angela." Elisa did her best to sound reassuring, "She has to be someplace close… There are only so many places she can go in this city…"

***** ***** *****

Two men stood on the roof opposite the Nightstone Unlimited building. 

"I have her, Sir..."

John Castaway took the night vision goggles from the younger man and looked through them, "Get ready…"

***** ***** *****

Goliath flew low near the docks of the wharf. Hudson flew just off to his left scanning the area for possible problems. It had been a quiet night, and he was thankful for it. They had spoken briefly about Goliath's evening with Elisa and while he didn't go into the details, he assured Hudson that things were fine. 

"Well old friend, I believe we have covered enough for tonight. Let us return."

Hudson nodded in agreement and the two changed directions, heading back to the main part of the city. 

Without warning, Goliath dropped dangerously close to the water, Hudson panicked and dove to him, catching him before he could fall into the ocean below, "Goliath! Are ya alright Lad?"

Goliath had a dazed look on his face, "No…" He struggled to collect himself as Hudson guided them both to the shore.

"What is wrong lad?"  


"Elisa…"

***** ***** *****

Castaway looked again at the sight before him, "Make it good. We only get one chance at this. Prepare to fire…"

***** ***** *****

"Wait, someone's coming!" Angela's voice hissed over Elisa's headset. "It's them!"

Brooklyn and Broadway landed beside her and she rushed to throw her arms around Broadway. They remained in the embrace for several seconds. Once their embrace ended, she turned and hugged Brooklyn… but it wasn't the same and both of them knew it. 

"Where have you been?" she inquired quickly.

"We had to stay back… keep our distance…" Broadway stated in his best 'I'm a detective so I know what I'm talking about' voice.

Brooklyn shot his rookery brother a quick glance of irritation. He was about to respond to the comment but held his tongue since that was exactly what they had been doing. Instead he glanced over to the building across the street, "Have you seen Demona yet?"

Elisa's voice cut in over the headset Angela wore, "She's in there?"

Angela removed the device and handed it to Brooklyn. He placed it around his head and spoke softly into it, "Yeah for about twenty minutes or so… Where are you?"

"We're on the street below you."

"Is Goliath with you?" he asked.

Lexington's voice cut in over the headset, "He still hasn't returned from patrol…"

Matt crouched down and reached into his pocket for his police radio, "Command Base, this is Command One…"

A voice squawked from the radio, "Go Command One. This is Base."

"Have there been any verified sightings tonight?" Matt knew he had to be specific about asking for verified sightings. The GTF received about 20 false calls a day.

There was a pause before the voice came back, "Command One, that's a negative. No verified sightings reported…"

"Copy Base. Inform me if anything happens. Command One out." He placed the radio back in his pocket, "Well they haven't been picked up or seen in the city…"

Without warning, a light came on in the building. They all reacted at the same instant, looking up at the now illuminated window. Angela peered through the binoculars at the glowing window and almost dropped them to the ground. Brooklyn took them from her and gazed through them, now seeing what she saw.

Demona stood in the window… looking directly at the location where Elisa and Matt were hidden in the shadows.

"Not good… this is not good." He quickly yelled into the headset, "Elisa! Matt! Get out of there!" 

***** ***** *****

Demona held a wicked grin on her face. This was an unexpected find tonight. She had been prepared for the Hunter, but the human Elisa Maza would be an acceptable substitute. Reaching over to the desk behind her, she picked up the laser weapon then pointed it to the street below.

She focused the sights and lined up for the shot.

***** ***** *****

"We're in trouble…" Elisa hissed as she grabbed Matt by the back of his jacket and hauled him to his feet, "Move it Bluestone!" 

Quickly, they sprinted from the darkness hoping to avoid whatever the others had seen. 

***** ***** *****

"NO!" Brooklyn yelled out. He saw what was about to happen and knew all hell was about to break loose. "Angela, you're with me!" he ordered then turned to his rookery brother, "Broadway…"

Broadway had already leaped from the ledge, "Way ahead of you, Bro!" 

The larger gargoyle spread his wings and glided towards the window, knowing he only had one shot and he had to make it count. When he was close enough, he curled into a tight ball, hoping for an instant that it wasn't shatterproof glass and that his forward momentum would be enough to carry him through. If he were to bounce off the glass, he doubted he'd have enough time to spread his wings wide enough to catch an up current.

And it was a long way down to the street.

***** ***** *****

Castaway almost gave the order to fire, but instead placed a hand on the snipers shoulder, "Hold on…" He looked in shock at the sight unfolding before him. What the hell was going on?

***** ***** *****

A blur passed before Demona's eyes blocking the sights. She immediately refocused and peered through the sights again and realized her intended targets had disappeared. Looking around furtively she saw them being lifted by two gargoyles. The instant she recognized her daughter and Brooklyn; she howled out in rage. 

Where had they come from? 

She belatedly noticed a third form coming directly at her. A split second later, the room was filled with the sound of shattering glass and an explosive roar.

***** ***** *****

Elisa felt herself being jerked back and then lifted up. Looking around she saw Brooklyn tightly holding on to Matt, carrying him to safety. Looking at her current mode of transportation, she smiled, "Thanks for the lift Angela."

The young woman smiled back at her, "Anytime…"

Soon they were on the roof of Nightstone Unlimited. Angela's landing was a bit more graceful than Brooklyn's was. Matt, unaccustomed to travelling in this manner shifted at the last moment causing Brooklyn to miss judge the rooftop. The pair crashed into a near by air conditioning vent. 

"Get yer foot out of my ear Matt…" Brooklyn mumbled trying to quickly untangle himself from the mass of bodies and metal. In his attempt to get untangled, he realized the transmitter had been damaged and was now hissing at him softly, "Aw man, Lex is gonna kill me…"

Elisa looked around noting not everyone was present, "Where's Broadway?"

Angela looked distraught, "He went after Demona!"

***** ***** *****

Hudson looked at Goliath who was now in near hysteria. Something was wrong… very wrong. There were few times he could think of that he'd ever see the lad in such a panic… and it was beginning to affect him as well, "The Castle?"

"No… It has to be someplace… close…" he closed his eyes and concentrated. His eyes popped open in horror and he exclaimed, "Nightstone!"

They changed direction and headed to the center of the city with Goliath praying they weren't too late.

***** ***** *****

Broadway rolled over and tried to sit up causing pain to shot though him like a knife. He had been badly cut coming through the window but Demona was no where to be seen. That gave him the inspiration he needed to get up.

He focused his eyes and carefully considered the situation. Looking to the window, he knew there was no way she could have gotten out that way. The glass shards were still in place, and anyone attempting to go out that way would be cut worse than he was coming in. He carefully peered down to the street below but was no sign of the others. After a brief search, he saw the door to the office was slightly open.

He limped over and carefully looked out into the hall. There was a blood trail leading down the hall to the fire exit. Investigating further, he saw the trail went up, not down.

He was going to have to move quickly. Demona was heading for the roof and if she made it, there would be no stopping her escape. 

***** ***** *****

Brooklyn ran to the fire door and was about to pull it off the hinges when it flew open in a blast, knocking him back. Before him stood Demona, bleeding profusely from a deep cut on her right arm and several others on her face and body. 

He realized she must have received them when Broadway went through the window and if she was cut like this, he could only imagine at what Broadway might look like. The injuries didn't look fatal, not that it would have mattered since Demona was not going to be slowed by mere cuts. He also noticed she had a very wicked looking laser pulse rifle with her. 

This was bad… really bad. 

Demona didn't even stop to focus on Brooklyn but she did zero in on Elisa right away. "I should have know!" the immortal roared. "What does it take to rid you of my life? This ends tonight Human!" 

Moving faster than anyone would have given her credit for and taking into account the nature of her injuries, she pulled the weapon to the ready and sighted in on Elisa. Matt moved in to cut her off and received a swift kick to the gut for his actions. He fell to the roof in a heap, gasping for breath.

The distraction gave Elisa the seconds she needed. She plowed into Demona, catching her from the side. The motion failed to knock the weapon from her grasp but it did force the two of them to the ground. They wrestled around, each attempting to get a better hold on the other. Elisa had the slight advantage of having two free hands but Demona was acting on pure rage. 

Elisa felt the adrenaline rushing through her body as the fury built within her. She felt like she was about to get the upper hand when Demona twisted in an awkward motion causing her to loose her grip. Elisa fell back, crashing into Brooklyn in the process, and the two of them fell back in a tangle of wings and arms.

Demona quickly rose and turned to fire. Angela took this as her opportunity to move in. She reached around and attempted to pry the weapon from Demona's grip. Demona finally realized who was attacking her and it infuriated her all the more. She threw the girl across the roof. "The Humans and your father have twisted your loyalties, Daughter. You should be fighting with me, not against me!"

"Never!" Angela spat back.

Matt was back on his feet by now. He pulled his weapon and yelled out, "Give it up Demona!" His voice drew her attention and Matt knew this was a bad thing because the weapon was now pointed at him. He dove for cover just as she fired at him. 

***** ***** *****

Morgan ran across the precinct and into Captain Chavez's office, "Ah… Captain…?"

"What's the problem Morgan?" She had her head down going over case files, clearly not interested in whatever the officer had to say unless it was that the building was on fire. It was the fourth interruption in the last fifteen minutes from someone wanting information from her. "Did we run out of the glazed donuts again?"

"No… I'm not sure really if it's a problem or a situation… We just got a call… Someone reported what sounded like an explosion…"

Chavez looked up sharply, "Where?"

"Over at Nightstone Unlimited…"

Captain Chavez jumped up from her chair and into the main part of the precinct. Moving to the detectives area, she scanned the area knowing she wouldn't find who she was looking for, "Where's Maza and Bluestone?"

***** ***** *****

The sniper looked though his sights a the battle going on the roof across from them, "Do I take the shot?"

Castaway was deep in thought looking at the scene before him. It was his chance to be rid of them all. From his vantage point, and with the aide of the night vision goggles, he could clearly see all of them moving about on the roof of the building. 

He lowered the goggles for a moment, "Maza is on the roof…"

"The cop who's been protecting them?"

"We don't know they are being protected by anyone Jenkins…" John looked through the goggles again. 

What the hell were they doing on the roof? 

***** ***** *****

Elisa and Brooklyn crouched behind the fire exit, "This is going well…" he said with a touch of sarcasm.

"We need to get that oversized peashooter from her…" Elisa whispered.

Brooklyn looked at Elisa and scratched his head absently; an unconscious gesture he's picked up from her at some point over the years, "How do you propose we work that out? Ask nicely?"

Elisa looked him squarely in the eye, "We rush her…"

"Oh yeah, I'm really looking forward to that…" 

Elisa used the sleeve of her bomber jacket to wipe the sweat from her brow, "I don't think we have a choice."

"I knew you were gonna say that…" Brooklyn rose slightly, looking carefully around the corner. Demona had her back to them. "It's now or never…" he murmured quietly as the two dashed out from their concealed position. 

Demona must have sensed the movement because she turned to face them but had no time to react as the pair hit her. She managed to knock Elisa away but Brooklyn had a grip on her now. Elisa regained her footing and turned as she pulled her weapon. There was no hesitation in her actions and she had every intention of giving the woman gargoyle a double tap to the head, but Brooklyn was blocking her shot. 

Brooklyn had the upper hand but shear anger was Demona's partner right now and somehow she again freed herself. Matt moved in but Demona tossed him aside like a paper doll, but she stumbled slightly as Angela rejoined the fight and pulled her off balance. 

Angela whipped her tail around before her estranged mother could regain her footing. Demona's talon pulled reflexively on the trigger and the shot went wild striking an air vent causing an explosion of metal to fly up in the air.

***** ***** *****

In the distance, Goliath saw the fireball go up. "No!" he bellowed. 

***** ***** *****

Broadway reached the roof just in time to see the explosion. The white rage finally bubbled over and he leaped out to grab the first thing he came into contact with, which happened to be Brooklyn. 

Brooklyn had to react quickly to avoid being pummeled by his rookery brother, "Broadway, stop it! It's me!" 

He saw several deep cuts across Broadway's back, wings and arms. He wasn't fatally wounded but it still looked bad. Brooklyn shoved him down to the ground and told him to stay put. Once he had secured him, he scanned the area and saw Demona off to the side but didn't see Elisa until the last instant.

It was almost as if she came from nowhere, striking Demona with a low blow to the legs and this time the laser weapon did come loose. Brooklyn dashed over to retrieve it and was almost to it when Demona once again came free of Elisa's hold and back handed him across the roof. He turned as he fell landing on his back.

Demona grabbed the weapon and turned to fire at Elisa point blank. But something made her stop… something that shouldn't be possible. 

Brooklyn watched as the look of rage on Demona's face turned to horror. Not quite understanding what was going on but knowing her needed to take advantage of the situation he moved in on her. His eyes shifted to Elisa briefly just to ensure she was all right. What he saw nearly made him stop breathing. 

Elisa stood there with a red blaze in her eyes. Not the fleeting flashes Goliath had seen before and not the quick flash Matt and Xanatos had seen either. This was a full fledge, red eye, stare of a gargoyle. 

It took Demona a split second to register what she was seeing and it sent her off the deep end, "NO!" She raised the weapon to fire.

***** ***** *****

John Castaway saw the Beast raise the weapon and point it at Maza, "Shit!" He grabbed the high power rifle from the younger man and prepared to take matters into his own hands. He lined up the crosshair square on Demona's back and fired. She disappeared from his sight but he knew it wasn't because she had been hit by his shot. 

"What the fuck…?"

***** ***** *****

Brooklyn saw Goliath a moment to late and realized from his position Goliath was unable to see the weapon pointed at Elisa, "Goliath! No!"

Goliath pulled his wings back and dove to the rooftop, striking Demona squarely in the back. She hit the ground in a heap along with Goliath. It took only seconds for the immortal to disengage from him and she spun around to look at him, "You!"

Goliath growled deeply as he charged back into her. Demona immediately side stepped him and struck him in the back with the rifle. She went to strike him again but Hudson stepped in and snatched the weapon way from her, "I think not…"

Goliath rose sluggishly and looked at his former mate, his eyes blazing white with fury. He had no words to say to her and even if he had, he didn't know if he would have been able to speak them. The treachery and pain this woman had caused was beyond words. She turned her back on him, the Clan, and everything they had ever stood for. It went beyond a betrayal of him but extended to a betrayal of all gargoyles. He finally found his voice, "You have lost, Demona."

"What have you done?" she demanded.

"I have done nothing…" He replied through clinched teeth

"You lie… You have betrayed everything!" she spat back.

"I have betrayed nothing!" Goliath retorted. He didn't like where this conversation was going, "If there was betrayal it was yours alone…"

"I have done only what was necessary to insure MY survival!" She looked at Angela and then back at him, "Did you really think I would never return to reclaim what is rightfully mine?" 

Angela refused to even acknowledge her mother and Demona felt a slight twinge at the rebuff, but it only added fuel to a fire that was rapidly burning out of control. She gave Goliath a piercing stare, "I was your first… I should be the one at your side…"

He cut her off before she could say more, "No Demona. This ends now; tonight." 

"It is not over!" she shrieked out in rage.

Goliath began to move in on her slowly. "I will not allow you to continue on this destructive path…" 

Demona backed away from them, searching for an opportunity to escape. She surveyed the group, trying to determine which line of defense contained the weakest link. Broadway was leaning against Angela and Matt. They had managed to stop most of the bleeding but he looked very weak and Hudson stood near by with the now dysfunctional rifle. 

Only Brooklyn and the human were missing from her sight. 

Looking past Goliath, she saw Brooklyn kneeling on the ground near the unmoving form of Elisa Maza. She lay in a crumpled heap on the ground, which was now saturated with blood. The sight made her smile hatefully, "Oh, yes… Goliath… the matter of your… Human…"

Goliath spun around to see what she was looking at. Only now did he see Brooklyn cradling the head of a very still Elisa. With all his anger focused at Demona, he failed to notice the precarious link with Elisa had been severed, "No…" he rushed over and pushed Brooklyn away, "NO!" 

While the others looked on in shock, Demona took the opportunity to make her move and leaped to the ledge of the building, "Fool. You have chosen poorly Goliath… they are a puny and weak species and there is nothing you can do to save her this time." 

"You are wrong Goliath, I win again." 

And then she was gone.

***** ***** *****

Castaway was still looking at the scene before him. Maza was down. "Damn..."

Jenkins looked out over the rooftops, "One got away but we can still take the others out…"

"No… To many variables…"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" The young man cringed slightly, realizing what he'd just said and who he'd just said it to. He tried to compose himself, "They're gonna get away!" he whined.

John gave him an icy stare, "Did you not hear me before? NYPD is on the roof. Do you really want to risk killing a cop, Jenkins?" 

The young man shook his head, "No…"

"Good. We wait for a better opportunity. " He gave one last look to the roof of the building across the street. No one was moving but the sirens were getting louder signaling that it was time to make their departure. He bent over to gather up their gear and was about to walk to the ladder leading back down to the ground level, when a thought jumped into his mind. 

In trying to protect Maza and Bluestone he had also protected the beasts. 

The beasts he'd sworn to destroy.

He questioned his attack of consciousness and wondered if it was really worth the risk.

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	7. The Storm Before the Calm

The Storm Before the Calm

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

Part seven in the series

What? No money in my wallet? Hmm, must be because I'm not making any money off this and the wonderful world of Disney still owns them…

Hope you like and happy reading! J

***** ***** *****

The tears streamed down Goliath's lavender face. He reached out and tried to link back to Elisa but found nothing. The loss was more than he could bear and tipped his head back a let loose a howl that chilled the others in a way no other sound had. It was mixed with destruction, sadness, and pain, but underneath was the emotion of love lost. 

"ELISA!" He bent his head to hers and silently willed the life to return to her. 

The others moved in slowly, not sure what to do. Goliath sat on the ground rocking back and forth with Elisa's still from in his arms, "How did this happen?" he replied through clinched teeth.

Brooklyn started to speak but held his words. Goliath didn't need to know… at least not right now. In one aspect, by crashing into Demona, Goliath had prevented the shot from hitting Elisa point blank and forced the shot to shift, but not far enough. Instead of a shot to the head, she had taken the hit lower and a large section of her jacket and shirt were now stained with blood. She remained still and lifeless in Goliath's arms.

The sounds of police sirens wailed distant in the night, but they were growing closer, "You all gotta move..." Matt stated. He moved to his fallen partner and tried to lift her from the gargoyle's arms, "Goliath, give her to me… if they find you here…"

Goliath shoved him away roughly, "Let them find me…" he hissed in a quiet voice.

Matt moved back over to Goliath. He resisted the gargoyle's attempts to shove him away again and checked for a pulse on the side of Elisa's neck but found nothing. There was no time for him to coddle Goliath into some type of false hope that Elisa might have survived the attack, "You have to leave and I mean now…" 

Brooklyn moved forward, knowing Goliath was not thinking clearly, "Goliath please, this won't help anything… If they find us… Elisa will have died for nothing…"

Goliath looked at his second in command as if seeing him for the first time and his eyes flashed white with anger and grief, "Do not allow those words to leave your lips again..." 

Brooklyn took an involuntary step back. Goliath rarely used this tone with anyone least of all with one of the Clan. This was not the same Goliath he knew. He turned to the others not sure what to do but knowing they had to move quickly, "Hudson, help me with Broadway…"

Angela turned on Brooklyn, "We can't leave them here!"

He spoke patiently to her, "We're not… You two get Broadway back to the Castle…I'll stay with Goliath…"

Hudson spoke up, "No, Lad. If ye stay we all stay…"

Matt threw his hands up, "No! You all go! I have enough to explain as it is without having to…" He allowed his eyes to fall on his lifeless partner, "Damn… oh… damn…" 

Goliath was oblivious to what was going on around him. He reached out deeper, knowing she couldn't leave him… not like this and not after everything they had been through. 

"Please Elisa," he begged, "If you go… you take me with you…" He shuddered as he felt a burning deep in his chest, as if a match had been lit and pressed against his flesh. "She lives…" He whispered softly,

Matt gave him an accusing stare, "Damn it Goliath, we don't have time for this…" 

He placed a hand on the side of Elisa's neck checking again if only to humor the clan leader long enough to get him the hell off the roof. He felt nothing and knew Goliath had been mistaken in his grief. 

Then he felt a single beat.

Matt turned to Brooklyn abruptly, "He might be right…"

Brooklyn whipped around the others, "Angela, get back to the castle, I'll carry Broadway with Hudson." She nodded to him and took off into the night. Together, he and Hudson supported Broadway and moved to the edge. Goliath still sat on the ground with Elisa in his arms, reluctant to move her. 

Hudson called out to him, "We must hurry lad, they will be here soon." 

Goliath picked up Elisa's unconscious form and followed, sending his strength out to her. Her heartbeat was very weak and he was cautious in his movements. He glared at Matt, the anger more than evident in his eyes, but the tears were still streaming down his face.

"Go…" Matt ignored the look since he had other things to worry about right now. Elisa clearly wasn't out of danger and the sirens were growing louder so the danger rose with every second the Gargoyle leader remained on the roof. "I'll deal with this and meet you later. What hospital are you taking her to?"

Goliath watched as Matt made his way to the emergency exit stairs, "I'm taking her home…" he replied stiffly.

Matt nearly stumbled down the stairwell but caught himself just in time and spun around to give Goliath an incredulous look. 

"Bullshit, you take her to a hospital!" Matt was about to continue with his tirade, but then realized he had very little time or choice in the matter. He gave the clan leader a hard glare, "I'm trusting you with her life. Take care of her Goliath, because if something happens to her, as God is my witness, I will find you…"

Goliath said nothing as he spread his wings and flew off, clutching his precious cargo in his arms. 

Matt turned and ran down the stairs of the fire escape two at a time. He needed to get down there before someone decided to come up because he had no idea how he was going to explain this one. When he reached the lower level, he saw a woman speaking on a cellular phone. Without having ever seen the woman before, he knew exactly who she was. 

He took the phone from her and spoke into it, "Sorry, she'll have to call you back." And then clicked it off. 

"What is the meaning of this?" the woman demanded.

Matt turned to her, "Ms. Reading, I don't have a lot of time and since I doubt your boss wants New York's Finest running all over her building do us both a favor and shut the hell up and listen to me…"

***** ***** *****

They stood in the Great Hall. Xanatos, Lexington, and Fox were tending to Broadway. None of his injuries were life threatening in themselves but the loss of blood had left him weak. He needed only to wait for sunrise and was expected to fully recover. 

Elisa however was another story. Goliath refused to take her anyplace else, but it was clear she needed to be in a hospital. To take her to a hospital would mean someone would have to explain how this had happened and it was not an option considering how her wounds were received.

With Angela's assistance, Owen removed Elisa's blood soaked jacket and shirt in order to reveal the angry scorch across her chest and lower right side. Demona's shot had been off its true mark but not by much, and the damage looked severe. Owen did his best to treat the wound and wrapped a pressure bandage around her to prevent further blood loss before attending to other assorted cuts and bruises. 

David Xanatos walked over, "How is she?" he whispered.

Owen looked over the detective skeptically, "She's lost a great deal of blood, and I cannot even begin to make a determination as to the nature of the internal damage." He stepped back and pulled Xanatos away from the group, "Perhaps we should consider transferring her to a hospital…" 

Goliath spun around upon hearing what Owen said, "No… She's alive, and she stays here…" He knelt down and rested his head to hers.

Owen moved back to the prone woman. He managed to move Goliath out of the way enough to check Elisa's vital signs. Her heart had a strange beat to it but it appeared to be growing stronger. Owen looked at Clan Leader with a measured eye and adjusted his glasses slightly, "I cannot be certain as to the long term effect of the injuries but if she regains consciousness… she may survive this." 

Goliath let out the breath he'd been holding since seeing her on the roof. He could feel her heartbeat and for now that's all that mattered. He blocked out everything but Elisa. 

She was coming back to him. 

As if in response to Owen's words and Goliath's silent prayers, Elisa's eyes fluttered and she took in a deep breath. Her words were slurred but to Goliath they were clear and beautiful. 

"Gawd, this hurts..." 

The others moved in closer, relieved to see she was coming around. Hudson was the first to speak, "How do ye feel, Lass?" 

"Like hell…" she was disoriented and weak, "Where am I?"

"At the castle, My Love…" It was the first time he'd used the words in the presence of the others. 

Elisa tried to rise but was unable to lift herself so Goliath assisted her in sitting up slightly. While it hurt to move, the pain let her know she was indeed alive. She winced as her body was wracked by a series of sharp pains and Goliath felt them as she did. He knew how badly she was hurt but said nothing. She looked at the group standing over and around her, "Is everyone all right?" She noticed not everyone was present and panicked, "Where's Matt?"

When Goliath didn't answer right away, Brooklyn finally spoke up, "He's fine… He had to stay behind…"

"But he's OK, right?" She demanded once again and looked to Goliath, "He's not hurt is he?" 

A low grumble seemed to reverberate through Goliath's chest as he spoke, "No… He's fine…" 

Elisa seemed satisfied with his answer but not the tone of voice in which he gave it and leaned back. Noticing Broadway sitting off to the side, she asked him how he was doing. 

"I think I've been better…" he mumbled groggily.

"You and me both…" Elisa replied and did her best to at least look like she was doing better than she actually felt. A quick glance over the group told her they were all feeling a certain amount of apprehension and they were in need of some kind of reassurance from her. The situation at the Dam and St. Damien's Cathedral earlier that year had been bad, but this somehow felt worse.

Brooklyn stood off to the side. Ever since they had returned to the castle, he had wanted to speak about what he saw and now that it looked like Elisa was going to be OK he decided now was the time. He took a tentative step forward and spoke softly, "Elisa… On the roof…"

She looked at him carefully still feeling out of it, "It's all kind… hazy. What the heck happened?" 

Elisa looked to the others but no one spoke. Glancing around she saw her clothes in a pile, stained with blood. She looked down at her body, the wounds were covered, but she could see a small amount of blood seeping through the bandages. She looked up to see Goliath's eyes locked on hers, "How bad?" she whispered softly. 

Goliath found himself unable to look her in the eye and turned away, powerless to provide her with an answer. Elisa looked over at the rest of the group, "Brooklyn, how bad was I hurt up there?"

"It was…" he took a deep breath, "What do you remember?"

She felt Goliath's hand tighten around hers. She had no clear memories of what occurred on the roof and was struggling to replay the events in her mind. "I remember seeing… a bright flash of light… and an explosion…" she was suddenly aware of the way Brooklyn was looking at her, as if it were more than just the evening events that he was asking about.

"Demona shot you…" Brooklyn looked at Goliath quickly as he spoke. He had no intention of rehashing the battle and he wasn't sure Goliath was in the frame of mind to hear it right now. "But what I want to know is… How did you do what you did?"

"Do what?" she questioned guardedly.

"You… changed…" he said slowly 

"I don't know…" she could tell by the look he gave her, claiming ignorance wasn't going to make this go away so she looked over at Goliath, "Feel free to jump in at any time…" 

She could see Goliath was hesitant to discuss the events surrounding their relationship and gave his hand a gentle squeeze, "It's either now or later…."

Goliath looked at the rest of the Clan, "There are things we must speak of… Things that may effect us all."

Xanatos moved closer to the group, "Yes, let's talk…"

Elisa noticed him for the first time, and under normal circumstances she would have resented him even entering into the conversation. She figured the pain was dulling her senses, but the feelings of anger towards him were quickly returning, "Go away Xanatos…"

He was now looked her directly. "Please Detective, I have a fairly good idea what is going on." 

"And what would that be?" Goliath cut in, clearly as upset by the intrusion as Elisa was.

"The changes that have been occurring between Detective Maza… and you…" Xanatos was cut off from saying any more when Matt came bursting into the room.

"Thank God!" He shoved past everyone and knelt next to Elisa "Are you OK? You scared the hell out of me! Christ, if you ever…" he paused realizing he had burst into the middle of a conversation and the others were just staring at him, "What's going on?" He looked back at Elisa, "You are OK aren't you?"

"Yeah, I think so…" Elisa muttered softy, "Although being shot twice in one lifetime has got to be some kind of record…"

Matt attempted to shift the focus away from the near disaster, "Chavez wanted to know where you were… She was surprised to not see you at the site of a building explosion…"

"Well, I think it's going to be awhile for that… but I get the feeling someone is trying to tell me something…" 

"Maybe you should listen to the message…" Matt voiced softly.

Elisa shifted around, causing a new series of pain to shoot through her. She was fighting to remain coherent but it was becoming harder to stay awake. Goliath took a deep breath and moved closer to Elisa, effectively shoving Matt out of the way. Matt tried to move back to his original place, but Goliath shifted slightly blocking his movement.

Elisa for her part, tried to draw the attention away from Goliath's actions but it was pretty clear to her that no one was going to get to close to her for the time being. She also couldn't help but notice the way Goliath was looking at Matt. For the first time since she could remember he seemed to be glaring at someone else other than Xanatos. She glanced over back over at Matt, "What's going on? Is everything OK?"

Matt knew what she was getting at but instead of answering the question, he changed the subject, "Yeah… Yeah, I took care of everything… Nightstone Unlimited is claiming one of the newly installed generators exploded…" 

Elisa smiled, it was the same excuse Owen Burnett used when telling her of the explosions which resulted in her first encounter with the gargoyles, "Something's never change…" She took a deep breath as a spasm of pain rocketed through her body. She tried to play it off but it was clear she was fooling no one. 

Matt looked at the rest of the Clan and got the feeling something was wrong, "What's wrong with her?"

"I can't be exact," Xanatos replied and looked to Owen who was now standing just outside of the group. "But I think Owen can."

Owen Burnett was quiet but eventually looked at the group and got right to the point, "I believe it called the Bonding." He looked to Goliath for conformation, "Am I correct?"

The others stood by with mouths hanging open as Goliath nodded slightly, "Yes…"

Owen continued, "I have done some research based on Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos. While they have achieved much, neither of them shows the traits Goliath and Detective Maza have been exhibiting. Therefor it would appear neither Humans nor the Children of Oberon posses it. The Bonding is strictly a Gargoyle trait."

"What is he talking about?" Matt inquired

"Then how do you explain Elisa?" Brooklyn asked ignoring Matt's question, "I know what I saw…"

Owen stood ramrod straight in the center of the group, "I believe what we are seeing in Detective Maza may stem from her brief time as a Gargoyle."

Matt's mouth dropped in surprise, "Her what?!?!"

Elisa and Goliath were quiet. Of all the possibilities, this was the only one they had not considered but it was the one that made the most sense. Elisa looked at Matt who was still standing there with his mouth hanging open. She cringed and knew this was going to take time to explain. 

She and Matt were close but there were still a lot of things she hadn't bothered to tell him about and this happened to be one of them. She gave him a shallow nod and hoped he'd understand why she was ignoring his questioning stare. 

Owen glanced over in Goliath's general direction, "Of course I won't be able to provide you with a clear picture until I finish reviewing all of Detective Maza's records…"

"What are you doing with my records?" Elisa asked. She was clearly disturbed that he, and more than likely Xanatos, suddenly had access to her medical records.

Matt cut Owen off before he could answer Elisa question, "I'm thinking the rest of us still don't have a clear picture because you're not making any sense…" Matt walked over to Elisa but stopped short when Goliath began flexing his talons as if in warning to stay away.

Owen adjusted his glasses slightly, "Of course… Let me make it simple. Every living creature has a genetic code which is the basic blueprint for…."

"You mean like from Jurassic Park?" Lexington interjected. 

"Come on Lex…" Brooklyn rolled his eyes at his rookery brother, "That was a movie… this is real life we're talking about…" 

Xanatos cut Brooklyn off, "Actually that's exactly what he's talking about. Detective Maza's blood work is the same but her DNA was altered sometime after she was shot by Broadway two years ago. To my knowledge the only event that could affect a genetic code in this way is magic..." He glanced in Owen's general direction, "A very specific type of magic…"

Angela was struggling to understand what everyone was talking about. While she had no idea her human friend had once been a gargoyle, it certainly answered a few questions she had about her father's relationship with Elisa. "How can you be sure her genetics, DNA, whatever it is has been altered?" She asked.

Hudson's eyes went to near slits, "Aye Trickster… how is it that ye be knowin' so much 'bout the Lass insides?"

"Yeah," Brooklyn asked suspiciously, "I mean why would they start showing up now?" 

The question as well as the answer hit Elisa like a ton of bricks. While she was reasonably certain most the members of the clan were not aware of they had become mates in every sense of the word, it would seem that was not the case for everyone else in the room. 

Xanatos stood near by with a smug look on his face, and for one panicked second, Elisa thought he must have bugged her apartment… _Christ there will be a picture on the Internet in a week_ she thought. "Owen, we never…" 

Owen cut her off before she could say more, "Detective, these changes have been taking place for… some time… " He added the last part for their peace of mind. The others might not realize it yet, but he knew they had gone beyond the mere limits of bonding. 

Goliath spoke slowly, "You've seen evidence of this… Before tonight?"

"Indirectly… Actually it was Mr. Xanatos who first brought it to my attention."

All eyes turned to Xanatos. He looked back at them all collectively but said nothing for some time. Finally he broke the silence, "I first noticed it when you and Detective Bluestone came to the castle. The night the Clan had to leave."

"What did you see?" Angela inquired.

Matt spoke up, just now realizing what they were talking about, "You saw her eyes…"

Elisa glanced over at him, "You too?!" She was stunned.

"Yeah, at the Precinct… the night those two knuckleheads were harassing…" Goliath grumbled and Matt swiftly adjusted his words, "us…"

"Why didn't someone say something before?" Elisa asked. She made it a point of glaring at Xanatos when she spoke, "Why wait until tonight?"

Xanatos ran a hand over his goatee and considered his answer carefully before responding. "Owen wasn't sure so I saw no reason to mention it until I knew for certain what we were dealing with." He turned and looked to Goliath, "I had no idea this would happen tonight…and I doubt it would have made a difference if I had…" 

Goliath made a low rumbling sound but Angela cut in before it could escalate any further, "Father, please. I think we've all seen it… We just didn't know it… until now."

"What is happening to them? They're gonna be OK, right?" Lexington inquired.

Owen looked at them pointedly, "I can only make assumptions. I'll need to know the extent of the changes that have taken place already."

"Exactly what has… changed?" Matt asked.

Elisa was about to answer when she realized he wasn't even talking to her. Matt was looking at Brooklyn, Xanatos, and everyone else in the room but her. They were all in the mists of discussing the implications and she was beginning to get very irritated at the whole conversation. They were all discussing her as if she wasn't even in the room. 

"Hey! You can talk to me too!" She tried to rise but the pain was excruciating and her vision started coming in and out of focus. 

Goliath shoved the others way roughly. "Elisa, are you all right?"

She whispered to him, "Are you having trouble seeing?"

"No…" he began.

"Then it must be me…" 

Goliath could not put the worry out of his mind and despite her pain, Elisa tried to speak clearly, "I'm OK…" she paused before moving, the room was spinning again. "Just give me a sec to remind my body…" 

Once Goliath was satisfied Elisa was not going to pass out he looked over at Owen, "Just tell us… what all this means." 

Owen paused before continuing, "Detective Maza, what have you experienced thus far?" He knew he was about to get a very abbreviated version, but it didn't matter right now. The rest of the answers would surface soon enough.

Elisa looked at Goliath, waiting to see if he would speak on their behalf. When he said nothing, she smiled slightly. He would allow her to relate what she wanted the others to know and would let her know if she touched on any areas he wasn't comfortable with. There was no way she was telling Owen everything anyway. 

After a moment she replied softly, "Voices…"

Matt interrupted, "You hear voices?"

"No, Matt." Elisa was getting exasperated, "I hear Goliath… His voice… in my head… Images sometimes…" She saw Goliath stiffen slightly and forced herself to remain neutral.

"Is that all?" Owen asked looking at Goliath.

Goliath spoke, "Emotions… feelings. I have a sense of her… presence…" he knelt beside Elisa, taking her hand in his. As an after thought added, "I know the beat of her heart…" 

The others didn't understand this part but Owen did. It explained the erratic heartbeat he heard earlier and it brought up a whole new series of questions. He paused and looked at Goliath with a practiced eye, "Goliath, how do you feel right now?"

Elisa looked at the man with surprised. She shifted her gaze to Brooklyn, "I thought you said everyone was fine… No one else was hurt…" She turned back to Goliath moving her hands over his body. The movement forced shooting pains to move about her body but she ignored them. There were no apparent injuries to him but she couldn't be certain since much of her own blood still covered him.

"There is no need for alarm, Detective. I assure you Goliath is fine…" Owen stated matter of factly.

Hudson was now worried, "Why do ya need to be knowing this then?" 

Owen adjusted his glasses slightly, "I'm just wondering what will happen at dawn…"

Goliath suddenly realized what he was getting at, "Her heart… is linked to mine…"

Elisa cut them off, "No, nothing happened last night…"

"Last night you were not injured," Owen stated looking back to Goliath, "and I believe it may be the 'Bond' that has allowed Detective Maza to survive her injuries so far."

All heads turned and looked at the sky outside… Dawn was quickly approaching. Elisa was just now beginning to understand what Owen was implying. If their hearts were linked, sunrise might very well kill her. They both knew for a fact that the Bond was severed while Goliath slept. 

Broadway's voice was thick and slurred from the back of the room where Fox was still treating his injuries, "Puck… He could keep Goliath from turning to stone…"

Owen shook his head sadly, "I am prohibited unless protecting or training young Alexander."

Brooklyn grabbed the man and pulled him close, "Well I think now would be a good time for a quick lesson don't ya think?!" 

Owen broke the gargoyle's grip on him, "No… I cannot… I am sorry…" 

Elisa looked at Goliath. He bowed his head down as she reached out to his thoughts knowing what she would find there, "This can't happen…" she whispered to him. 

She felt herself begin to shake and for the first time in her life, she truly felt afraid. They held hands tightly and after a few moments she leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. Goliath knew her fears and she could feel him trembling. The rest of the group stood by and watched the pair in their silent communion.

Lexington spoke softly, "Is Elisa gonna…"

Fox walked over and cut off the rest of his question, "OK… Everyone out…" They all looked at her in shock, "What are you all looking at? Out. Elisa needs rest and all of you are not helping."

They all stood around looking at Xanatos and after an extended second, he realized they were waiting for him to say something. He placed his hands behind back, "What? You heard the lady… Everyone out." 

The others helped Broadway up and filed out of the room slowly. Soon only Xanatos, Goliath, and Fox remained. Fox looked at her husband pointedly, "Well?"

"Oh… my apologies my dear, I didn't realize you meant me too…" He kissed her on the cheek and slowly walked out behind the rest.

Fox then turned to Goliath, "I trust you'll make sure she gets some rest?"

"Aye…" The words were muffled, his head buried in Elisa's neck, "Why are you doing this?" he inquired looking up at Fox.

She turned to leave, "Just returning the favor." She followed behind her husband but looked back at the pair and spoke softly. "You helped David once and I didn't want you to think it had been forgotten." She walked out leaving the couple alone.

Elisa thought back to that Halloween. The light's, the city, the magic of the night. Walking down the street with her arm resting on Goliath's, dancing and enjoying the evening; in a way it had been their first date of sorts. 

The memories brought tears to her eyes since it was beginning to look like they might not ever have the chance again. She pulled back slightly, the weakness and disorientation she felt earlier was quickly returning. 

"Goliath… if what Owen said is true…" 

He was silent for some time before slowly taking her hands in his. They were so much smaller than his, but now felt just as strong. "No, I will not let you go…"

"You might not have a choice…"

"I will not let you go…" he repeated looking slowly over to the doors leading out to the open area of the castle. He could feel it; the sun was about to rise.

Elisa reached over and pulled his face back to meet hers, "Goliath… Promise me something," She gripped his talons tightly, "… no matter what happens…" 

Goliath could see the expression on her face and knew what she was about to ask of him, "Elisa… No…" 

She could feel herself slipping, "…love you Big Guy…"

"Elisa…"

It was the last thing she heard before the darkness claimed her.

***** ***** *****

Dawn had come. They stood in the entryway of the Great Hall looking out at the sun. On the parapets of the castle stood six stone forms. Hudson, Brooklyn, Broadway, Angela, Lexington, and even Bronx were all standing together. Each had a talon hand resting on the shoulder of the other forming a tight circle. 

"What are they doing?" Matt asked.

Fox looked at the grouping, "It looks like a prayer circle. I remember seeing them before in Australia..." 

Matt spoke softly in the early morning hours, "Will it be enough?"

Xanatos responded without looking at the man next to him, "There's only one way to find out…"

They all turned and walked into the Great Hall. Goliath's stone form sat on the edge of the makeshift bed Elisa lay on. Matt called out her name, "Elisa…" She didn't respond and the room had an unusual silence to it. He called out again, a bit louder, "Elisa." 

He moved closer to her, hoping against hope that she had fallen asleep… or was unconscious but she never moved and Matt felt his heart drop. 

Elisa was really gone this time… She was dead…

Owen finally broke ranks and moved purposely to the woman. He reached out to placed a hand to her throat. His intention was to check for a pulse, but suddenly he pulled back, "Sir…"

Xanatos walked over slowly to his right hand man. "I knew we were hoping for too much…" He stopped speaking when he saw what Owen was looking at and turned to Matt, "Detective…"

Matt turned to leave, not wanting to lose the last shreds of his dignity in front of Xanatos. "What's the point… I blew it… and Elisa paid the price…" He paused and gave Goliath's stone form a scowling glare, "I never should have let him bring her here…" 

"Detective Bluestone! You're going to want to see this…" Xanatos stated emphatically.

Matt walked up slowly with Fox behind him and what they saw made them quit breathing.

For all intents and purposes Elisa looked dead…. Then her chest moved slightly. 

"She's alive!" Matt exclaimed. "We gotta get her to a hospital…" 

"No! Don't touch her!" Owen quickly snapped. 

"Back off… I must have been out of my mind for letting Goliath bring her here... Fox help me get her up…" Matt went to lift her but Owen pushed him away, "Are you nuts? What is wrong with you?!" 

Matt looked as if he was ready to pummel the man but Owen was non-pulsed, "Do not do anything that might disturb them." 

"Fuck you, we gotta get her out of here!" he was fighting to get to her while there was still time. Matt gave Owen a threatening stare, stone hand or not the man was about to get his ass whipped.

Xanatos moved in to help hold Matt back, "If we move her, we risk breaking their connection…"

Matt was livid, "What the hell are you talking about… She could be dying!" He turned to Fox, his eyes pleading, "Please…"

"David…" she said softly, "Maybe he's right…"

"No…" Xanatos looked at his wife, "We are NOT moving her." 

Fox moved forward and let her gaze fall over the couple. Despite his stone form, Goliath still had Elisa's hand in his own and she now saw what her husband and Owen were talking about. Her hand went to her mouth as she spoke. "Sweet Jesus…" 

Matt finally wrestled free of Xanatos, "Get off me…" he finally calmed down enough to focus on what the others were seeing, "What the hell…?"

Elisa's chest shifted slightly, not because she was breathing, rather because the skin underneath was apparently repairing itself.

***** ***** *****

Owen left immediately after their startling discovery. Fox left periodically to check on Alexander. Xanatos had a few issues to deal with and was in and out of the room. Only Matt stood there the entire time. Not speaking. Not moving. Hardly breathing.

Matt didn't even acknowledge Owen when he finally returned. Fox and Xanatos returned just as the sun was slipping below the horizon and it finally dawned on him that he'd been standing for nearly twelve hours. 

In that time, Elisa never moved once or made a sound.

The crackling of stone could be heard but instead of the normal roar of life, Goliath simply shuddered and spread his wings allowing the fragments of stone skin to fall away. He remained motionless and quiet, still holding Elisa's hand.

The roars of the others echoed in the night. Slowly they walked into the Great Hall, uncertain as to what they would find. 

When they saw Matt, Owen, Fox and Xanatos standing around Goliath and Elisa, they knew their worst fears had come true. Brooklyn let his gaze fall to the floor and softly cursed Demona. Angela sobbed and turned to Broadway. He held her in a loose hug, trying to console her, knowing it might not be enough. Lexington and Hudson stood with Bronx, not knowing what to do.

Elisa skin was now flushed and she was sweating, as if she had a fever. For the first time she stirred and gradually opened her eyes. "What time is it…?" she whispered.

At hearing her voice, his head shot up and he quickly pulled her to him, "I knew you would not leave me…"

A collective cheer went out as the others rushed the pair. Hudson was pounding on Goliath's back and Brooklyn moved and hugged the pair. Each was shoving the other out of the way, trying to show their happiness at the miracle that was now a part of them all. Never in their lives were they as happy to see someone.

Angela sat down by Elisa, "How are you?" 

Elisa shifted around feeling stiff from lying down for so long, "I think… I'm… fine…" She seemed as surprised as the others to still be alive. "What happened?"

Matt related the story to them all and as he spoke, Elisa quickly realized she felt none of the pain from her injuries. She looked at Goliath with awe as Matt went on and began pulling at the bandages on her chest, "Help me get this thing off…"

The others turned in slight embarrassment, realizing she was getting undressed in front of them. 

"I'll go get her something…" Fox said leaving the room. 

Angela and Goliath finally pulled the bandages from Elisa and what they saw took their breath away.

With the exception of a slight discoloration, the skin below was unmarked and completely healed.

Elisa felt the tears welling up in her eyes as Goliath wiped them away with a cautious talon. "You are alive…"

She embraced him, kissing him deeply, as Angela stepped back to allow them a private moment. She found a blanket and covered Elisa just as Fox returned with some clothing. She set them on a near by chair and glanced over at the couple but neither Elisa nor Goliath took any notice of the actions.

The others would have continued to watch, but Fox ushered them out of the room, "Alright… let's go…this isn't a peep show…" 

***** ***** *****

Their time alone was short lived. Elisa now wore fresh jeans and a flannel shirt, which hung loosely over her, roughly two sizes too big. Owen sat on a chair opposite from her with a stethoscope to her chest monitoring her breathing. She felt completely stupid sitting there like he was a doctor and she was getting a check up but the truth of the matter that's exactly what he was right now. 

For the moment Owen Burnett was not only the resident expert on Human/Gargoyle Bonding but also her personal physician. No one else had even the slightest clue how to evaluate what had occurred and considering what had happened in the last 24 hours she doubted a regular doctor would be worth the risk. She took a deep breath and allowed him to continue the examination. The rest of the group stood off to the side allowing the examination to be conducted without distractions. 

Everyone but Goliath. 

He stood with her having already completed his examination. The one good thing about the whole situation was that Xanatos had a complete database on Gargoyles physiology having done so much experimenting with them. 

Not that this made Elisa feel any better, it was like being an unwitting partner in the whole Anton Sevarius thing again. She felt like a lab rat and the thought of it made her more angry.

Owen looked at her over his glasses, "Detective please. If I'm going to get any type of accurate reading here, you're going to have to control yourself."

She forced her original response back and looked at him, "Sorry…" 

Goliath placed a reassuring talon on her shoulder. He knew what she was feeling and smiled down at her lovingly. He had the same feelings but knew this had to done no matter what either of them felt towards Xanatos personally.

"Tell me again what you experienced." Owen asked. Perhaps the distraction of talking would keep her mind on the matter at hand.

She took a deep breath before answering, "I don't remember too much and I doubt I could put it into words…"

Owen adjusted his glasses slightly, "Please try anyway…"

Elisa shook her head, "It was weird… it kinda felt like being squeezed to tight…" 

Owen nodded slightly, but waited a few minutes before continuing on with his examination. What he was noting was amazing even to him. 

Detective Maza's internal functions fluctuated between normal human and gargoyle. Respiration, pulse, heart rate, and even body temperature were shifting between up and down, but they didn't seem to be affecting her in the slightest. In fact, he was certain she had no idea they were changing at all, but the rapid shifts were making it impossible to determine a baseline for her normal readings. He pulled the stethoscope from his ears and looked at Goliath. "I find nothing wrong with her..."

Elisa looked at him while buttoning up the shirt and rolling up the sleeves, "You have got to be kidding me…"

"On the contrary, Detective. You appear to be quite healthy all things considered." Owen shook his head, "However I would like to run the tests again once Goliath has gone to sleep to determine if you still demonstrate the same reactions. It is entirely possible these changes only occur while he is awake or in close approximately." 

He was about to suggest Goliath leave so he could monitor her again but one look at the large gargoyle told him that would not be a wise suggestion. He collected his things and moved to leave the room, "I would like to run a blood analysis…"

"No way."

"I think not…" 

Elisa and Goliath voiced the objections at the same time. Goliath moved in to stand between Owen and his love, "Elisa's blood is just fine where it is…"

"I see," Owen turned to Elisa, "We'll need to keep you under close observation for a few days but otherwise you seem to be 'adjusting' quite well. If you experience anything further or find problems as a results of you injuries, please inform me right away." 

Elisa gave him an off-handed nod, essentially blowing him off. She didn't much care for the 'we' portion of his comments because it implied more than just him, which meant Xanatos was planning on keeping tabs on her as well. 

Goliath, ever vigilant on events concerning Elisa, acknowledged the request, "We will." He chose to ignore the scowling glare Elisa gave him.

"If you will excuse me…" Owen nodded slightly to the door where the others stood waiting, indicating it is was all right for them to return to the room. They all walked in slowly, not sure what they were waiting for but sure that if something were truly wrong someone would tell them.

Elisa walked up to members of the clan and hugged them individually. Brooklyn stood with his head down, so she walked up slowly and wrapped her arms around him tightly "Thanks for looking out for me last night on the roof…"

"I thought you were dead…" He looked away in embarrassment, "I tried to get Goliath to leave you up there…" 

"You were only doing what was best for the clan…" She said to him softly.

Brooklyn took a deep and ragged breath, "Demona could have…"

Elisa cut him off and did her best to pull the feelings of responsibility from him, "But she didn't…" 

Brooklyn shifted around, "I didn't know what to do…" he hugged her again, as if to confirm she really stood before him. 

Elisa knew it hadn't been easy on him to take the reigns of leadership and it was more than just the events on the roof that caused this out pour of emotion. The young gargoyle had grown so much over the past few years.

Not to long ago, Demona had stolen away a part of his innocence and it was a wound that had never truly healed. It was a mental scar he lived with everyday of his life as a reminder of what he had almost succumbed too. Of what he'd almost become.

Goliath walked over and placed a taloned hand on his second in command's shoulder, "Brooklyn, what you did on the roof… took great courage…" He took a deep breath, "You did well… And I am grateful to you." 

Brooklyn looked at the others expecting to see them mocking him. Instead he saw a new found respect in their eyes, "Yeah… well… let's not go through that again..." He finally pulled away from Elisa, "OK?" 

Elisa smiled back at him, "Deal." She was about to turn back to Goliath when she caught site of her partner standing near the wall with his back to them. He didn't speak as she walked over to him, "Matt…"

They stood in silence. Slowly he reached out and squeezed her hand, "If you EVER do something like that again… I swear I'll kill you myself…"

Elisa smiled at him, knowing how this was effecting him and squeezed his hand in return, "Thanks partner… "

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "You scared me last night…" 

She looked at him with understanding, "I know… and I'm sorry you had to go through it…" She hugged him tightly, "But thanks for sticking around today..."

Matt smiled at her, "Well I didn't have anything else to do…" He glanced over to where the others stood and noticed Goliath staring at them with a strange look on his face and nodded in his direction, "I was a little hard on him… said a few things that might not have been to cool…"

Elisa turned with him and couldn't quite place the expression on Goliath's face. It hovered somewhere between affection and irritation. "Come on… everyone thought I was dying up there… I doubt he even remembers what you said…" 

When they walked over, Elisa noticed Goliath stiffen slightly indicating that, perhaps, he did remember some of what Matt might have said. 

Matt pulled Elisa with him over to Goliath, "I owe you an apology…" 

When the clan leader said nothing, Matt reached over and took Goliath's talon and joined it to Elisa's small hand. He repeated the words he spoke to the Clan Leader on the roof the night before but with a new meaning behind them, "I'm trusting you with her life. Take care of her Goliath…" 

Goliath reached out and held Matt's hand to both of theirs, "We shall all take care… of each other…" The others moved in slowly and placed their talons on the pile. 

The Gargoyles had always been Clan... but now with Elisa and Matt, they were a Family.

***** ***** *****

Owen was talking with Xanatos when the group walked back outside, "I believe the traits they are displaying will not go further than what they currently are. However they will probably become more intense over time." 

Xanatos stood with a thoughtful look on his face, "How do you explain her recovery?"

"The contact with Goliath when he underwent his… Stone Sleep… must have somehow transferred through to her. I doubt it is a normal occurrence and I wouldn't want to test the theory."

Elisa spoke up, once again annoyed that Xanatos was discussing her like she was an experiment rather than a person, "Me either…" 

She was leery about discussing the matter in the presence of Xanatos but for the moment it seemed like the lessor of two evils. Better to find out what happened before anything else came up, "So what did happen?" she questioned.

Owen shifted his gaze over to her, "I believe the fact that Goliath was present at the time of your… injury… may have been a factor. When your heart shut down and I have no doubts that it did, Goliath's took over, effectively beating for both of you."

"But how…" Elisa began.

Owen pulled a file from his blazer and handed it to her, "It would seem when you were transformed into a Gargoyle and then reverted back to human form, a very small section of your genetic code remained unchanged. This alteration has allowed you to experience a part of the Bonding…"

Elisa rubbed her head absently, "Wait a sec… I was a Psychology major in college so there weren't to many opportunities to take courses in genetic research… I still don't understand…"

Goliath spoke over Elisa and placed a protective arm around her, "It matters not how My Love… just that it did…"

Brooklyn smiled, "Like I said before… Let's not make a habit of this OK?" 

"Hey, anybody else hungry?" Broadway called out as he flexed his wings out verifying that the Stone Sleep had healed his injuries as well. 

That one comment was all it took to bring the rest to laughter. Lexington smacked him on the back, "Always thinking with your stomach…"

The others began filing to the back of the castle, heading to the kitchen. Broadway's voice could be heard clearly over the laughing of the others, "But I'm starving…"

Elisa gave Owen a measured eye indicating that she still wanted some answers but understood now might not be the best time to get into the inner workings of her anatomy. She started to follow behind the others and glanced over to Matt, "We'd better get moving ourselves, we don't want to be late..."

"What do you think your doing?" Matt inquired.

"Getting ready for work…"

"Oh no… I don't think so…" he countered.

"What? Why not?" Elisa exclaimed.

"Are you serious?" Matt walked over and picked up her bloody jacket, "Does this ring any bells?"

She took the garment from him looking it over, "Oh man… the cleaners will never get this out…" she carefully removed several items from the pockets of her jacket and placed them into the pockets of her borrowed clothing. 

Fox walked over and took the bomber jacket from her. Elisa started to object but Fox held up a hand to stop her protests, "In my previous line of work, I learned all the tricks of the trade. I'll have it good as new in a day or two." 

Elisa cocked an eye at the former Pack Leader, "I have your word…good as new?"

Fox smiled as she walked out of the room, "You'll never know the difference…"

Matt watched as Elisa continued rummaging though her blood soaked clothing, "Are you not listening to me? Elisa, you died last night!"

She looked at him like he was a small child, "No, you weren't listening. I could have died last night, and didn't… now I'm fine." 

"No you're not… You should be seeing a doctor…"

Elisa jerked her head in the direction of Owen, "I just did…"

Matt took a defensive posture, "He does not qualify as a doctor!"

"Well for now he does. Besides its not like I can go to a hospital and say I got hit with a laser blast but have no injuries to show for it. Believe me, I'm fine." She tossed her shoulder holster to the side, "Did you happen to pick up my gun last night?" 

"Yeah I have it in the… Wait a sec… No changing the subject!" He turned to Goliath hoping for some support on the issue. "Please talk some sense into her…"

Elisa cut him off, "Matt, she tried to kill me!" 

Matt stood his ground, "What else is new? When was the last time she didn't try to kill you?"

She ignored the comment for the moment looking instead to Goliath, who stood alone watching the debate, but saying nothing. But then again he didn't need to, she already knew what he was thinking and it didn't take a psychic connection to figure it out. She looked at him with annoyance and aggravation. 

They'd had this conversation before.

"Not again…." She groaned.

"I believe Matt may be correct…" Goliath replied softly.

"We are NOT having this discussion." She stated firmly.

Matt, realizing he now had an ally, doubled his efforts. "Oh yes we are…"

Goliath walked over to her, "Elisa… perhaps you should…"

"No way! Owen gave me a clean bill of health and unless one of you can come up with an extremely good reason why I should not be doing MY JOB," she emphasized this for Goliath's sake, "then it had better be a good one!"

Goliath looked at her for a long time, the argument was too much like the one they'd had before. He also knew this newfound bond with effecting her greatly; she was beginning to think like a young gargoyle, which was to say she was acting without considering the repercussions. "Elisa, what happened last night…"

"OK. Let's talk about what happen last night." She countered his argument, "What was so different from any of the hundred of things we've gone through in the past because of Demona, Xanatos, The Hunters, The Pack, Thailog…" She was glaring openly at the two of them by the time she finished, "I could go on but I think you both get the point." 

"Why can't you just let this go?" Matt questioned.

She looked at him hard, "Could you?"

He took a deep breath and after a few minutes said softly, "No… but that's no the point…"

"Yes it is…" She glanced over at Goliath, "I have to do this…"

Goliath met her gaze, "No… I will not have it…"

"This is not open to debate, Goliath," She walked over to him, "This isn't the first time she's tried to kill me, and I doubt it will be the last…"

Goliath took a defiant stance, "No… This was the last time… Demona is now our responsibility…" He looked at Elisa firmly, "We will look for her while you find the Hunter…"

***** ***** *****

Brooklyn stood on the roof looking at the large bloodstain. There were other smaller satins on the roof but this was by far the largest. He remembered the battle vividly and was having trouble putting the images out of is mind. 

Lexington stood behind him. "It was pretty bad… wasn't it?" he asked softly. He'd heard bits and pieces of the battle through the broken transmitter and somehow it felt worse knowing he wasn't able to be there to help them when they needed it the most.

Brooklyn said nothing for a long time but finally responded in an off handed way, "Yeah…" 

"You wanna tell me what we're doing up here?" Lex inquired.

"Exactly what we're supposed to be doing…" Brooklyn gave his rookery brother an unreadable expression, "Keeping an eye out for Demona…" 

Lexington cocked his head at him slightly, "Yeah, well… Goliath said watch the building, not 'go stand on the roof'…"

Brooklyn cut him off, "I had a gut feeling…" he walked around the roof aimlessly, "I was just thinking with all the commotion… we might have missed something… something important…"

Lexington looked at his rookery brother with compassion. He remembered the way Broadway acted after accidentally shooting Elisa two years ago. He'd felt responsible for what had happened and for weeks after, followed Elisa around trying to make amends, despite her reassurances that she didn't hold him responsible. Lex thought Brooklyn was probably going through the same thing. "You know it wasn't you're fault…"

Brooklyn spoke without looking at him, "I know…" 

Lexington shifted uneasily, "Goliath is gonna kill us if he finds out where we are… We should get going…" 

Brooklyn whipped around quickly and suddenly lay down on the stained roof and lifted his head slightly. 

The image was too much for Lexington, "What are you doing?" 

"Thinking…" Brooklyn replied and then leaned back with his eyes closed. 

"Well could you do it standing up, you're starting to freak me out…"

Brooklyn didn't say anything for a long time. "When Elisa went down I remember seeing something fly up…" Suddenly he rolled over and crawled over the ground. After a few minutes he found what he was looking for lodged in the tar of the roof. "I'll be damned…" he muttered. 

Lexington moved into to see what he had found. It was a bullet slug. He took it from his rookery brother and examined it closer. It was badly damaged, but it was clearly a fresh slug. They turned around slowly, both trying to figure out what the trajectory might have been. 

"The building across the street..." Brooklyn said quietly. "Someone was over there…" 

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	8. Raising the Stakes

Raising the Stakes

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

Part eight in the series

Not mine, not mine, not mine. No money, no money, no money. Just borrowing, just borrowing, just borrowing. Don't sue, don't sue, don't sue…

Hope you like and happy reading! J

***** ***** *****

"So what do we do now?" Angela asked.

Brooklyn and Lexington had just returned to the Eyrie Building to show the others what they had found. 

Amazingly, Goliath wasn't upset when he found out where they were. In fact he'd seemed relieved to see they had found something. He called a meeting so they could begin to formulate a plan before Elisa and Matt left to for work and even Xanatos was present for the conversation. Goliath had asked him despite Elisa's protests since they needed someone who essentially thought like a criminal. 

Xanatos was briefing the group as to his findings. "I did some research on the slug Brooklyn retrieved from the roof. It's a type of high powered, long-range ammunition normally restricted for Military or Government use."

Elisa glared at him, "I seriously doubt the Army is involved so I feel pretty safe in ruling them out Xanatos…"

Matt jumped in before Xanatos had a chance to respond, "How would someone go about getting this kind of stuff?" 

Elisa gave her partner a smirk, "Matt… Ten year olds can get it at the Seven-Eleven now-a-days… gang members, Mafia, local wack jobs… pick a psycho group and I'm sure they have piles of this stuff…"

Xanatos walked over and was about to place a hand on the back of Elisa's chair but one look from Goliath told him he'd better not try, "True. However this particular type of ammunition has a phosphorous tip, which is not the same as a standard tracer round. These have to be specially made and can be highly volatile. However they are also extremely accurate and nearly subsonic when fired so there's no need for a silencer. That aspect alone causes the government to be very particular about who they sell them too."

Elisa cocked an eye at him, "Get turned down recently?"

He was about to respond but refrained when Owen walked into the room, "I have been running some checks and it appears three shipments matching this description were purchased through private dealers outside the United States." He handed Matt a small stack of paper, "Obviously one of the shipments found its way to back to New York."

"Well that's as good a start as any…" Matt said slowly, "Who placed it?"

Owen adjusted his glasses before speaking, "So far the only name I've been able to locate is 'Carter'…" 

Elisa shot out of the chair she was sitting in, "As in 'Jon Carter'?!"

"No. This is a James Carter but I assume you recognize the name."

"Yeah," She sat back down slowly, "Canmore used the name Carter while working at WVRN…"

"Oh, this is just great…" Matt said rubbing his head slowly trying to ward off the incredible headache which was building in him, "Canmore is possibly running around with military grade weaponry… Could this possibly get any worse?"

Brooklyn was mystified by this new piece of the puzzle, "If he was there last night, there is no way he could have missed seeing us…Why didn't he shoot us off the roof?" He tossed the bullet slug over to Elisa, "If what Xanatos said it true, he could have smoked us with this stuff..." 

Elisa caught it in the air and picked her words very carefully, knowing she was about to grant Matt's unintended wish. Things were about to get worse and she couldn't help but to notice that Matt had moved a bit further away from Goliath and was making it a point not to look at the large gargoyle as she spoke. 

"I think I might have an answer..." She told the others of the packages she and Matt had received and when she finished the others stood there in a shocked silence. 

Goliath was livid and had to fight back the impulse to lash out. Instead he turned to lock eyes with Elisa, "Why did you not tell me of this before?" 

Elisa somehow managed to hold his stare as she spoke, "Something else came up…"

"What could have been more important then telling me of your contact with the Hunter?" Her cheeks colored slightly and he quickly realized what the 'something' had been. He had to fight back the urge to smile at her, instead he took her hand in his. "I see…"

"Does that mean the Hunter is on our side?" Broadway inquired.

"Probably not. But it does seem like he's willing to stick his neck out for Matt and me at least for the time being…" Elisa ran her fingers through her hair, "Most likely because he believes that it was us who saved his neck from Demona the night he was in the Nightstone database." 

She looked at the others, "I fact I gotta believe he may still be monitoring the Nightstone database…"

"How do you figure?" Brooklyn inquired

"I think he knew Demona was up there and was hoping to get a shot at her. We might have walked into his ambush by accident because I doubt he knew we were going to be there… If he had things might have been a lot different..."

"Well," Lexington was thoughtful, "If he is still checking it out, I'd doubt he'd be doing it in a regular way… She'd find him again…"

"So what do we do now?" Broadway asked.

"Me and Matt go back to work…"

"NO!" Goliath roared.

"…and try to get to the bottom of this." Elisa continued as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"Elisa right, Goliath." Matt suddenly realized he was going against his own earlier words, "But then again, she might be safer here with you guys…"

Elisa looked at him like she wanted to smack him, "It can't be both ways, Matt. I am going to work."

Xanatos cut them off before the conversation got any more heated, "Might I make a suggestion…?"

***** ***** *****

"I cannot believe I went along with this…"

Matt looked over at his still fuming partner, "Did you have a better idea?"

Elisa shifted again uncomfortably in the seat of the Fairlane. They had just left the Eyrie Building with a state of the art global tracking transmitter strapped to her body and digging into her skin.

The transmitter was an advanced set up similar to the ones used by NASA and the military for tracking the movement of nuclear armaments. Elisa had to bite her tongue to avoid asking how Xanatos had this particular item in his possession and she was relatively certain she didn't want to know the answer anyway. 

The up side of the deal was that she could now be tracked anywhere on the planet by a satellite feed as long as the tracker was operational. It seemed to satisfy both Matt and Goliath long enough for her to get out of the castle and Lexington was willing to forgive the broken headset in light of a new toy for him to play with. He was practically drooling all over himself trying to figure out exactly how it worked.

"Goliath knows where I am…" Elisa mumbled. "He can track me just fine with out all this…" 

Matt knew what she was trying to imply, but he refused to go over the argument again. "Yeah, well, no one else can track you without it, so just suck it up. Besides, your connection, bond, or what ever the hell it is might be limited."

"Not this limited…" she muttered. She knew Goliath was close by and decided it was best to just let it go since it had been like pulling teeth just to get him to agree to this. She checked her watch, "Damn… We don't have time to hit my place before shift. I'll have to change later…"

"Hey I like the look…"

"Shut up Matt." She said as they pulled into the parking lot. They both quickly went into the station hoping to make a quick escape. "We better hurry… I don't want anyone to see me here like this… Elisa hastily went to her desk and rummaged through it looking for her extra shoulder holster. Her issued gear had been left behind with the rest of her bloody clothing, "Damn, my other rig isn't here… must be at home…"

Captain Maria Chavez saw them as soon as they entered the building. Both of them looked like hell but she'd come to expect it from the pair, "You two in my office NOW!"

Matt looked at Elisa with a grimace, "This is it…" he said under his breath.

"Just remember your lines…" she whispered back.

They walked into the office and stood before her, "One of you had better have a good explanation for this…" she tossed a stack of paper down on her desk as if to emphasize the fact that she was in an extremely bad mood. 

Elisa tried to make light of the whole situation, "I know we're late… see I overslept and Matt had to wait on me…" 

She cut her off with a waive of her hand, "Shut up Maza…"

"What's up Cap?" Matt started.

"You too, Bluestone. The truth is, I don't really want to hear any of this from either of you!" Neither of them had ever seen Chavez this pissed and both had a feeling the reason for the anger had something to do with the events at the Nightstone building last night. 

"Please tell me why I got a visit from the CEO of Nightstone Unlimited asking where to send flowers for the poor, unfortunate officer who was killed in the explosion over at her building last night." Both detective's mouths dropped open in shock as she continued on her rampage, "I would especially like to know why she assumed it was you Maza since Bluestone told me you were nowhere near the place!"

Elisa sucked in her breath. Demona knew she was alive. They both stood in silence before her. They had a cover story, but in light of the visit from Dominique Destine, it was no good now. It never even occurred to them she would come by the station.

Chavez continued, "I tried calling both of you today and got no answer. I left six messages on your machine alone Maza and your not even responding to pages or your cell phone Bluestone. What the hell is going on? And don't even try to give me any lame answers, because anything that remotely sounds like an excuses will force me to have to shoot one of you."

She took a deep breath, and sized the pair up. Once again, something about the partners was off. Elisa was shifting slightly from foot to foot and Matt looked like he was about to run from the room at top speed. They almost appeared nervous about even being in her office. 

It was more than just their behavior, and it took her a few minutes of looking at the mute pair to figure it out. 

The clothes. 

The shirt Elisa wore was obviously not hers and the jeans were way too long. She let her gaze fall over Bluestone. He looked disheveled and out of kilter, as if he hadn't gotten sleep in days, "Where were you all day?" she asked.

Elisa was about to speak when Matt cut her off, "She was with me..." 

Elisa whipped around, "Matt!" It wasn't an out and out lie but Elisa didn't want the next words to come out of his mouth to be what she thought he was going to say.

Matt was unfazed by his partner's outburst, "Elisa was with me… all day…"

Chavez looked at Matt trying to process what he was implying. She'd heard the rumors around the station and in light of the meeting she had with him several days ago, it almost seemed plausible the partners might actually be involved with each other. She shifted her gaze back over to Elisa, "Is this true Detective?" 

"This cannot be happening to me…" Elisa muttered as she turned five shades of red. She wondered if there was any statement she could make that might get her out of this and couldn't come up with a single one, "In a round about way…yeah..." she stammered.

Captain Chavez gave her a skeptical look, "Do I even want to hear the rest of this?"

"Probably not…" 

Chavez shook her head slowly as she sat down, "I don't know what to say…"

"Neither do I…" Elisa murmured under her breath. She thought she was going to puke when Matt gave her a sharp elbow to the ribs.

Chavez leaned back in her chair, "This department has policy concerning partners becoming involved with each other…"

"I'm sure we can keep it professional, Captain." Elisa assured her. She looked at Matt pointedly, "Can't we Matt?" She reached over and squeezed his arm causing him to wince slightly.

"Wouldn't have it any other way…" He knew he was going to catch hell for this later but he didn't care anymore. As long as they got out of the office before the Captain asked anymore questions…

"That still doesn't explain why Ms. Destine came to see me today…"

… Like this one. "A misunderstanding I'm sure. I spoke with her personal secretary last night and the wires must have gotten crossed some place…" he was rubbing his arm where Elisa had pinched him, "I'm sure you were able to straighten it all out…" 

"Yes I did..."

"Great!" Elisa realized she was being more than bit obvious about wanting to get out of the office and tried to compose herself enough to speak a bit calmer, "Well, we really need to get out on the streets… Come on Matt..." She turned to leave hoping to escape any more questions.

"Not so fast…"

__

I knew it, Elisa thought, _I hate this…_

"You're both late and for future reference, Detective Maza, I doubt it would be wise to show up at the station wearing Bluestone's clothes… Since you said you plan on keeping this professional…"

Elisa looked down sheepishly, "Ah, yeah… Sorry… I ah…" she was stammering again and decided it was best to just let it go. "It won't happen again…"

"Fine. I'd hate to have two split you up over this…Now hit the streets." They practically ran from the room. 

Chavez waited until the partners left to consider their account of events. She had the feeling something else was going on and, more to the point, she didn't believe a word of their story. 

***** ***** *****

Elisa fumbled to find her keys in the jumble of her pockets. They had just arrived at her apartment and she was desperate to change clothes, "I cannot believe you let Chavez think we're sleeping together…"

Matt knew better than to starting laughing again, "I never said we were sleeping together… I just said you were with me. Besides you were the one who practically confirmed it." 

He was using the same tone with her that she had used on him earlier in the evening and Elisa found it extremely irritating. She paused before slipping the key in the lock, "Yeah… well I think the implication was there long before she asked the question…" 

"What were you planning on telling her?" he questioned.

"I don't know, but believe me this was not the route I was thinking…" She slipped the other items back into her pockets, "I just hope for Demona's sake Fox can get my coat clean…" 

Matt gave her a disgusted grunt, "I'd think you'd be more pissed about her taking pot shots at you…"

"Please. I love that jacket." She opened the door and the walked in. Cagney leaped up into Elisa's arms before she even had the chance to flip the lights on. She realized he must have been starving since she hadn't made it back to her apartment the night before, "Matt feed him for me would you…" 

He tried to take the cat from her arms but to no avail; the animal simply would not let go. "Forget it…" she muttered, "Come on cat let's go change…" 

She paused at the far edge of the room, "Do me a favor and let Goliath in."

Matt looked over at the balcony, "He's not even here…" 

Elisa stuck her tongue out at him, "Check again…" 

Matt looked back again. He still saw nothing, but suddenly the lavender gargoyle landed on the balcony. "Smartass…" he muttered as he went to open the doors. He had to step over a pile of discarded clothes to get over and open the door. "Hey…"

"Where is Elisa?"

"Getting naked in the bedroom…" From the look he got, he knew the humor was lost on the gargoyle and stepped back involuntarily, "Kidding… She's changing for work."

"Then all went well?"

"More or less…" In light of the situation he thought it best not to even mention the station at all. 

Matt heard Elisa's voice coming from the bedroom, "Matt! Get in here!"

He wondered why she didn't holler for Goliath but then realized she had… he just wasn't privy to the initial call because Goliath had already shoved past him, practically knocking him over the couch before Elisa even called out. Matt was getting used to the two of them communicating this way, but it was still unnerving. He was going to have to talk to her about this Bond thing.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Matt scanned the room and slowly pulled his pistol from his holster and thought back to when they first entered the apartment, "What the…?"

No wonder Cagney was freaked out, the rampage must have traumatized him for life.

The bed was flipped over and the stuffing from the mattress was all over the place. There were huge claw marks in the walls and a good part of Elisa's wardrobe was scattered across the room. A mirror had been smashed and the pieces lay over the floor. 

Elisa walked around slowly surveying the damage, it looked as if a tornado had come though the room. There was a note tacked to the wall with a shard of glass and she walked over cautiously to pull it loose with a still shaken Cagney in her arms.

I WILL FIND YOU 

"I don't believe this…" she said through clenched teeth and turned away from the carnage, but not before Matt caught slight flashes of red in her eyes. Goliath picked up on her change as well and pulled her to him protectively as if trying to shield her from the events that took place in the room. Elisa peered over Goliath wings and around the room. The sheer destruction indicated a rage beyond the normal human realm.

Matt tucked his gun back into his holster and walked out of the room. He moved over to the pile of clothing that he'd stepped over earlier in the living room and crouched down to re-examined them. When he first saw them he thought Elisa was just being sloppy.

Now he knew better.

They were much like the ones they had found on the roof of the Airport when they first discovered Demona had returned to New York; at one time this too had been a business suit. Elisa and Goliath walked slowly back into the living room as Matt tossed the tatters to Goliath, "Well I think this pretty much confirms it…" he replied harshly.

"Not now Matt…" Elisa replied quietly.

"There's a pile of shredded cloths in the middle of your living room Elisa! She was waiting on you when the change took place! That means she doesn't even care about the risks anymore! What if you had been here when this happened? There is no way, you can tell me…"

"Matt! Stop it!" she yelled at him, but was looking at Goliath with concern. 

Goliath felt waves of anger flowing over him, mixed with an under current of fear. It took a moment to realize the fear was not his but Elisa's. She wasn't afraid of Demona or what had happened, but of she was afraid of the way he was reacting. He tried to calm himself but it was a loosing battle.

Matt watched as the internal struggle Goliath was experiencing manifested itself in visible ways. The lavender gargoyle's eyes flashed white and if he had not been confined in the small room, Matt was certain he would have roared out as well.

"This must end…" 

Elisa was finally able to pry Cagney off her and dropped him to the floor and then wrapped her arms around him and looked at Matt over Goliath's shoulder, "Call the others…"

***** ***** *****

"Make a right over there…"

Matt tuned to glare at his partner, "Christ, ya know it's bad enough the woman… gargoyle… what ever she happens to be at the moment is stalking you again, so believe me when I tell you, it's not necessary for you to start barking out orders!"

Elisa didn't bother looking over at him as she knew the look without needing to see it. Matt was ticked off and she couldn't blame him. It had been a rough night for all of them. 

Once the rest of the Clan arrived, Goliath had sent Broadway and Lexington to Matt's apartment. There had been no sign of Demona, but they found the same evidence she'd been there but to a lessor degree. They figured when Demona couldn't find Elisa at home, she'd gone looking for her at his place. The focus of the rage might have been Elisa, but Demona had made it clear she was not splitting hairs and that no one was exempt from her rage.

Goliath wanted Elisa to return to the castle with him immediately. She held him off as long as she could but it was a loosing battle. Finally she gave in and promised to return to the castle as soon they finished their shift. 

"Matt, I'm sorry… Just trust me, OK?"

"Trust you… I've been doing that for a long time Partner…" She had yet to display any of the gargoyle like traits she'd show before but he felt pushing her right now might not be the best idea. 

"Where are we going?" he asked softly.

She finally looked over at him, "Back to the castle just like I promised… but I want to make a quick stop first… Take the next left and pull over…" Matt brought the Fairlane to a halt and Elisa got out, "Come on…"

Matt suddenly realized where they were, "Have you lost your mind?!"

"No…" She paused for moment and watched as Matt began looking around frantically, "What are you doing?"

He looked up, "Waiting for a big purple ball to swoop down a beat the tar out of me for bringing you here…"

"He's more of a lavender color and he's not coming… I shut off the tracker when we left my place… I'll turn it back on when we're done… No one will be the wiser…"

"Yeah right… How can you be so sure he doesn't know?"

"Believe me… I know…"

"Oh yeah… right…" Matt didn't sound so sure.

"I swear… Do you think we'd have gotten this far if he did?" Elisa walked over to the building and pulled the doors open.

Matt paused and then reluctantly followed her into the Nightstone Unlimited building.

***** ***** *****

They walked out of the elevator and into the office area. The woman behind the desk stood up slowly and started around the desk attempting to cut them off, "This is a restricted area. Your not permitted up here…"

"Stow it lady… Where is she?" Elisa demanded.

Jan Reading looked at the pair before her. Matt stood just behind Elisa, who was obviously very irate, and quickly composed herself before speaking to the officers, "I assure you I have no idea of who you're talking about."

Elisa took one step forward, "Don't jerk me around because I'm totally not in the mood for it…"

Matt's tone was equally condescending, "Please don't piss my partner off… She's had a rough day… You know… Dying and all…" He walked closer and addressed Jan directly, "Just tell us where we can find her and we'll be on our way…" 

She looked non-pulsed by his words, and for a moment the woman reminded him of Owen Burnett.

Jan Reading sized Matt up. She thought back to his comments the night before and decided ignorance might not be the best course of action to take, "Ms. Destine is not here at the moment… Nor are any of her associates…"

Elisa stared at her until the other woman finally looked away, "When she comes back… tell her if she EVER pulls this shit again she wont have to come looking for me... I'll come looking for her and God help her when I do…" She turned and stormed out of the office. 

Matt had to scramble just to keep up with her. Once they were in the elevator, he turned to look at her, "That went well… let's strike another one up to the famous Maza Temper… At least you didn't completely amp out on her. That would have been fun to explain." 

Elisa refused to be baited by his comment and when the elevator reached the lobby, she continued to storm out the doors heading to the car. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her jeans forgetting for the moment that Matt had driven over, "Give me the keys…"

"No." Matt looked at her hard, "Not until you talk to me… What are you trying to prove?"

"That I'm still alive. Now are you going to give me the keys or not?"

Matt wasn't about to let her off the hook that easily and grabbed her by the arm, "It's more than that and you know it!"

She pulled her arm away from him, "She threatening my Clan!"

She turned and continued on to the car with Matt running after her again, "Don't give me that crap, Christ you sound like Goliath! Your Clan?! What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" 

It was a rhetorical question, but she answered him anyway, "She threatened me, the lives of the others, and you too…" 

"Me?!" Matt practically yipped in surprise at the words Elisa spoke. "What the hell do I have to do with you going half cocked?"

She locked eyes with him, "My Clan… includes you too, Matt. She going after anyone and everyone and I will not let her take her problems with me out on the rest of the world." 

Matt gave her a condescending look, "Oh, I think we are way past that…"

"Look, I needed to shake her up and it was the only way I could think of to buy some time."

"Time for what?"

"If she looking for me, maybe she'll quit looking for the Hunter." Elisa took a deep breath, "I have to get to Jon before she does."

"Now I know your nuts… We'll be luck to get to the castle at this point…"

"My point exactly," Elisa walked around to the driver's side waiting no him to toss her the keys. "Demona is still out there which is why I still need to be out on the streets." 

He started to cut back in but she stopped him, "Look, I can't afford to have Goliath, you, or anyone else treating me like I'm gonna just… disappear. I still have a job to do…" 

From the look on his face Elisa could tell he was having some serious doubts and for a split second she thought he was going to walk away from her, "Matt… I know I haven't always been real open with you, and I've always asked you to trust me and you have… but this time I'm asking for your help…"

Matt could read the determination on her face and knew she was going to do this no matter what, but would rather do this with him than without. He also understood what she was saying and he could even rationalize it to a certain degree. 

No matter what she was still his partner and he wasn't about to let something else happen to her. He sighed and tossed her the keys to the Fairlane, "I swear Elisa, if Goliath pulls my arms off, I'm holding you personally responsible…" 

***** ***** *****

Elisa stood on the edge of the castle looking out over the city. She heard the last dying reminisce of the voices from inside the Great Hall, and knew her moment of truth was coming. Eventually, Goliath would come out and the argument would start again.

When they returned to the castle, Goliath had been waiting on them. As soon as Elisa saw him she knew she hadn't been able to mask what she had done entirely from him. She thought he was going to have an aneurysm when he realized where she had gone. 

It had been an impulse visit and might very well have made matters worse. But in her anger she hadn't been thinking clearly and she knew she was going to have to get a hold of herself quick. After tonight things were going to be bad. 

Matt was right, she was pushing it.

She heard him walk out and turned to him and knew he was still highly pissed. "I would apologize but I doubt it would do any good, would it?"

Goliath could feel the turmoil building in her. Matt had filled him in on the details she'd attempted to block from him. "True…" he replied softly. Elisa stiffened slightly but said nothing, "But… I do not think there is a need for an apology…"

She wasn't accustomed to being so out of control and didn't care much for the feeling either, "Oh yes there is… Goliath, I took a big risk tonight, one that could have gotten Matt killed. I don't know what I would have done if Demona had actually been there." 

She felt herself beginning to shake and walked slowly to him and wrapped her arms sound him. She was relieved when he slowly pulled her into his embrace. "I gotta wonder if I'm not loosing it…"

Goliath kissed the top of her head and spoke softly, "This is all very new for you…" When he tilted her head up, there were tears in her eyes, "We will work through this together, but you must not continue to take such risks…"

Elisa knew what he was getting at and allowed him to calm her fears. He held her for a long time and stroked her hair softly. He whispered reassuring words to her and gradually her shaking stopped but she was still tense. Slowly reached out to her though the Bond in an attempt to reassure her.

She took a deep breath, feeling his presence in the back of her mind. He was moving in slowly, not trying to push. She felt her heartbeat flutter and beat in time with his. After a few minutes it returned to its normal pattern, but it still raced. She tipped her head back and was met by his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave into the Bond fully. It was like a spark going off in the deepest part of her soul. The kiss finally broke and she looked deep into his eyes, "I am sorry…" 

Goliath pulled his love closer and capped his wings around her. He held her tight and softly kissed her again, absorbed in the feelings she sent out to him. He shut out the night and everything else but the woman he held in his arms. 

***** ***** *****

She watched them. 

She was prepared to swoop down on them both, bent on destroying the woman, but stopped. Someone else had walked from the castle and approached the pair. 

Angela…

She watched as the young woman approached the pair. They broke their embrace, embarrassed to be seen in such a compromising position. Angela laughed at something one of them said, hugged Goliath and then turned to hug the Human. 

In a rage, Demona flew off into the night.

***** ***** *****

They stood on the parapet of the castle, Angela had walked out several minutes before and caught the two of them kissing and Elisa was just now getting over the embarrassment. It was going to take a while to get past the fact she was with someone who, by all accounts, had a daughter that was only a few years younger than herself. Thankfully Angela didn't appear to have any problems with the current situation and seemed genuinely happy for her father and Elisa. 

The others, curious as to what was happening outside, walked out just behind Angela, "What going on?" Broadway asked.

Goliath was about to speak when he noticed Elisa staring off at the city skyline "Elisa… what's wrong?" He pulled her closer to him in a purely reflexive manner. After tonight, he didn't dare let anything slip past without careful scrutiny. 

"I have no idea… I just got a funny feeling…" Elisa finally pried herself loose from his hold but stayed close to him. 

"Funny feeling? What kind of funny feeling?" Matt questioned.

Elisa shook her head, "I'm sure it was nothing… Just nerves strung too tight…" she looked at the others seeing the disbelief on their faces, "Everything is fine… Really…"

Goliath didn't seem as sure, "You will stay here tonight." He looked over at Matt, "That includes you as well."

"Are you crazy?" He exclaimed, "We are not staying here."

Elisa looked up at Goliath, "He's right. You know how it will look it two cops were known to be staying at the home of David Xanatos."

Goliath stood firm by his earlier statement, "No, the risk are to high. If you return home Demona may be laying in wait for you…"

Matt rubbed his head, the lack of sleep was taking a toll on him, "Maybe there's a holding cell open down at the station…"

Elisa shook her head, "No Matt… We go home." She turned to cut off the protests she knew would be coming, "We can't allow Demona to run our lives. Right now the ball is in her court and she's calling the shots. The longer it stays that way the harder it's gonna be to get a grip on this." She looked at Goliath, "I'm tired of hiding from this…"

"Elisa…"

"No… Nothing changes. Matt and I go to work just like normal and you all resume your patrols. It's the only way we can get past all of this."

Hudson was the first to speak, "I agree with the lass, tis not our nature to hide from the enemy… No matter who it might be…"

Goliath was slow to agree with him, "Aye… but tonight… I would feel better if neither of you were in a location readily known to her…"

She looked over at Matt and cocked her eye, "I think I have an idea… One I think we can all live with…" 

***** ***** *****

Goliath wouldn't leave until Elisa and Matt were inside. Satisfied they were safe and no one was lurking in the shadows, he turned to Brooklyn, "Let's go home…"

"We're not going in?" For some reason he felt disappointed about it.

"No." Goliath gave the entrance one last look, "Dawn is approaching, and I think this is a conversation Elisa would be better off having without our presence."

***** ***** *****

"It looks like we have company."

Derek looked over in the direction Maggie indicated, "Elisa! What are you doing down here?"

"Well you said I should stop by…"

He rushed over to her and hugged her tightly, "I'm glad you did…" he looked over her shoulder and saw she was not alone. Matt was standing behind her, "Ah… Hi Matt…" He looked at his sister, "What's going on…?"

"It is a long story Little Brother… a long story…" 

Derek shook his head, "With you, Elisa, it always is…" He leaned over and shook Matt's hand, "Welcome to the Labyrinth."

***** ***** *****

Elisa and Maggie sat on the tattered couch and listened to the silence of the Labyrinth. Derek and Claw had left to scout out one of the lower tunnels, and Matt was curled up in a ball on one of the many cots. He'd tried to stay awake as long as he could but sleep finally overtook him. Elisa thought he looked peaceful for the first time in a long time. 

She could feel her body going limp and knew she was exhausted but fought the sleep anyway. She shifted slightly on the couch and noticed Maggie was looking at her with a curious expression, "What's up?" she asked trying to stifle a yawn.

Maggie cocked her head at Elisa, "Why didn't you tell Derek?"

"About what?"

Maggie reached over and flipped at the collar of the flannel shirt Elisa still wore, "That."

Of all the injuries she had, the hickeys were the only ones that hadn't been healed as a result of her link to Goliath's Stone Sleep. Elisa blushed, "Oh. You saw 'em…"

"As soon as you walked in." Maggie didn't want to pry but she was curious why Elisa didn't mention it to Derek. She knew her mate quite well and doubted he would have reacted badly to the news his sister had finally found love with someone who genuinely cared for her.

"It's not something I'm quite ready to 'discuss' with my baby brother… not yet at least…"

"Why not?" she inquired tentatively.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea just yet…" Elisa shifted to a more comfortable position on the couch as if to indicate this portion of the conversation was over.

Maggie smiled, Derek often did the same thing when she touched on area he didn't care to discuss. She had often wondered what her mate was like as a human and realized he would have been much like his sister… in fact, he still was. 

"You two are so much alike…" Maggie stated softly.

"I wouldn't tell him that… as kids he hated it if someone suggested he might be even the slightest bit like me…" The memory brought a pang of remorse. Elisa thought back to their childhood and found herself looking at the stone form of Delilah. "What's she like?"

Maggie followed her eyes, "Quiet… withdrawn sometimes…"

Elisa nodded absently, not really hearing the words but responding anyway, "Derek said she reminds him of Beth…" 

Maggie stood up and allowed Elisa to stretch out on the couch, "You should get some rest…"

The yawn finally slipped out as Elisa shifted around, "OK… Maybe I'm a 'little' tired…" she was asleep before the words even got all the way out of her mouth.

***** ***** *****

"Is this some type of conspiracy just to piss me off?!" In the fine tradition of the Maza family, Elisa stood in the middle of the room arguing with her brother.

"No, I just don't think it's a good idea for you to go home right now…" He turned to Matt, "Back me up on this… Tell her how unreasonable she's being…"

"Derek, this is between you and me!" Elisa retorted with a look that dared Matt to even try and interject himself into the argument.

Derek glared at his sister, "I can't even believe you would even think of going home after what happened…"

"Oh really? I told you this morning it was just for the day. I can't believe you want to even debate this with me!" Elisa threw her arms up in disgust, "Man, it's like living at home again…"

Derek narrowed his eyes to slits, "Don't even start comparing me to Mom…"

"Well then quit acting like her!" Elisa shot back.

"Derek, please," Maggie interjected softly, "You upsetting the others with all this arguing…"

"Maggie, we are not arguing! We are discussing…" Derek retorted.

"Then take the 'discussion' some place else!" Maggie snapped back. 

The Mutate Leader physically jumped when she yelled at him. Maggie rarely raised her voice and it took a lot to push her into a position where she did and Derek had a sinking feeling he'd just crossed the line. His sister was already on her way out the door hot on the heels of Bluestone. "Maggie…" he started. 

"Out!" she demanded. When he started to speak again she cut him off, "NOW!" 

Maggie was doing her best to keep the peace, but in the end throwing them all out had been her only recourse. Derek walked over and kissed her on the cheek lightly and followed his sister out the door.

They had been forced to the outer limits of the Labyrinth, which was probably better. Elisa looked at her brother hard. His role of Talon might work with the others, but to her, he was still the same little brother she used to try to lock in the closet for pestering her when they were kids. She smiled to herself at the thought of trying it again but figured it wouldn't be worth the effort. He wasn't six anymore.

"Derek. Listen to me…"

Derek's voice was low and threatening, "Let her find the son-of-a-bitch." 

"Oh, yeah, that's a healthy attitude to have." Matt muttered under his breath.

"Stay out of this Bluestone!" Derek snapped, quickly stepping back into the role of Talon.

Elisa cut him off, "Wrong answer, bro. Matt put his ass on the line for me and I'll be damned if you or anyone else is going to talk to him like that." She voiced was laced with an underlying threat and Matt caught brief flashes of red in the corner of her eyes. "Brother or not, this is not going to get you anywhere… We are going home."

"Elisa…" Derek started again. 

"Derek, if someone finds out we're here, the danger will be brought down on you, Maggie, and all the rest… You have a responsibility to them…" 

Derek grew somber at this thought. He knew he had no right to interfere with any of this, as it had nothing to do with him or the other Mutates. In fact very few people knew the Mutates even existed and his only connection to the current situation was his sister. This was about the Gargoyles and in order to keep his Clan safe, he was going to have to stay out of this. "If anything, and I mean anything, comes up…"

"We'll come back…" Elisa whispered.

"Promise…?" he asked tentatively.

"Cross my heart…" she said softy.

"And hope to die…?" 

"And hope to die…" She smiled at the childhood vow, relieved to have finally gotten through to him, "Come on Matt."

Derek called out to the pair as they left, "Be careful…!"

"Yes mother…"

Derek couldn't be certain but it sounded like both Elisa and Matt had responded at the same time.

With the exact same words.

***** ***** *****

Allen Jenkins stood outside the door waiting for the right moment to report in. It had been several days since the botched attempt at Nightstone Unlimited and he was eager to report his latest findings to the boss. After several minutes he heard his name called out and walked in and placed several files on the desk, "Maza is involved with them." 

John Castaway looked up at the young man thoughtfully, "And how did you come to this hypothesis?"

Jenkins was taken back for a moment, "Well… we continued the surveillance of the Beast's building as you directed. Maza and her partner went there a few days ago. We saw them go in and come back out, and have been tailing her ever since. She's also made several trips to the Eyrie Building and we still suspect Xanatos is harboring the rest of them there, despite the search by the GTF. She's got to be working with them."

Castaway was thoughtful as he flipped through the files the young man dropped on his desk, "Did you see her with any of them?"

"Well we've had reports of…"

Castaway cut him off, "Did you personally see her with any of them?"

"No…"

"Pull back on the surveillance..."

Jenkins felt his temper flare, once again his leader was making excuses for the woman detective. He forced himself to remain calm, it wasn't wise to upset the Boss but in this case he felt it might be justified in doing so, "Why?"

John Castaway stood, the irritation more than evident on his face, "Are you questioning me again Mr. Jenkins?"

The young man stepped back slightly, "No Sir."

"Good." He picked up the files and placed them in his desk drawer, "If you haven't seen her with them physically then there is no proof yet. I don't want anyone doing something that might tip our hand so for now we wait." He turned to the window and looked out over the city, "What about the other issues?"

Jenkins pulled a small notebook from his pocket, "So far everything is going according to schedule. A few loose ends but they should be tied up by the end of the week."

"I want them tied up by the end of the day." Castaway continued without turning to face the man behind him, "Is that clear?"

He nodded without really understanding and tuned to leave the office. Once he was outside, he actually took the time to think about what the leader of the Quarrymen had asked him to do. Maza clearly had ties to the gargoyles, yet Castaway was refusing to recognize the best chances they had of destroying the beasts was through her. 

He was getting a bad feeling about the situation.

Jenkins paused, hoping he was wrong because if he wasn't, this was going to become a problem later on down the road.

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	9. As the Walls Come Down

****

As the Walls Come Down

By Shadow Runner

[**Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com**][1]

Part nine in the series

Ok, I don't own them, I've never owned them, I lay no claim to them (especially since they belong to Disney) and I have no intention of even trying to make any money off of them… like that would happen anyway…

By the way anyone you don't recognize belongs to me, but the fact remains I'm not making any money off them either… If you like them thanks and I only ask if you want to borrow, please ask first.

Hope you like and happy reading! J

***** ***** *****

Elisa looked over all the paperwork and sighed. Never in her life had she know it to multiply the way it seemed to have done for the past few weeks. Captain Chavez had just dropped several case files on her desk earlier and it now felt like the pile would never stop growing. She glanced over at Matt's desk and took another deep breath. 

He still wasn't in yet. 

It had been four days since they had returned to their respective homes. Ever since the battle on the roof of the Nightstone Building and the subsequent trashing of both their homes, they'd been keeping close tabs on each other in the interest of safety. 

So far nothing had turned up and it was almost like things had been too quiet and for Elisa, it was like waiting for the other boot to drop. For once she understood and could relate to Goliath's seemingly overprotective attitude. The way she was acting about Matt being late was the same way Goliath acted when he couldn't find her instantly. 

She dialed Matt's home number for the third time and got no answer. She considered paging him but was hesitant to do so since she disliked her own 'electronic leash'. Instead she decided to give him some time, maybe he really wasn't that late and she was just being hyper sensitive. 

Elisa flipped through the new cases with half an eye to help keep her mind off Matt's absence. She noted a few areas she'd need to clear up but otherwise there wasn't much earth shattering about them. Both appeared to be dead ends so it was no big surprise Chavez had put them on her desk. She and Matt usually ended up with the stuff no one else could finish and in the four years she'd been a detective, there was only one case she hadn't closed and that was Canmore. 

She forced back a flare of irritation since this one was by choice and not lack of skill but it still didn't make it any easier to deal with. Technically, it was still open but it had been weeks since she done anything that could officially be put in the case file. It was only a matter of time before someone besides Captain Chavez realized the case was dead in the water and she would be expected to turn it over.

She checked her watch again. She wanted to do something because sitting there was becoming counter productive and the aspect of finishing up paperwork held no joy but it was still too early to check in with the Clan since they would be on patrol for several more hours. She considered reaching out to Goliath just to see how he was doing, but pushed the thought back until she figured out where her partner was. 

There was no sense in having him worry about Matt too and she didn't want to risk Goliath showing up unexpectedly.

Elisa finally decided the thirty seconds she'd given Matt to show up was long enough. It was now time to start looking for him and she rose to leave the station just as he came walking up. 

"Sorry… alarm didn't go off."

Elisa stood with her hands on her hips, "Damn it Matt… You should have called…"

He cut her off with a look, "Don't get me started. Not all of us have a built in alarm that goes off at sunset…"

"That's not an excuse…"

"Well it's gonna have to be… I spent the better part of the afternoon with three different civic groups who are all calling for my head on a platter for not doing something about the 'Gargoyle' problem. The Boss got called out on the carpet and Mayor Anderson is doing back flips at City Hall as we speak." He tossed his trench coat on the back of a chair and his voice dropped to a barely perceivable whisper, "I'm telling you Elisa… This is getting bad…"

"I know…" she lowered her voice as well. It wasn't totally necessary as there were few others around but she wasn't willing to say something that might be overheard and undo their carefully built house of cards. "I don't know what Anderson's problem is but the last I heard he's ready to declare martial law in order to find them…" 

"A hundred and forty-seven calls in the last seventy-two hours… none confirmed." He looked through several reports sitting on his desk, "You know, there's no way all these can be false and if it's not the guys then I gotta wonder if it's Talon's Clan or maybe even Demona generating some of these calls."

"Well I doubt its Demona since the Clan has her building staked out pretty well." Elisa pulled her brow together and sat back down at her desk, "And you can write off Derek for last night. He and Maggie had my parents over for dinner…" 

Matt gave her a brief smile, "Formal dinner at the Labyrinth and I wasn't invited? I'm hurt…"

"Don't be… neither was I."

He set one of the files down on his desk and sat on the edge looking over at her, "You still haven't told them yet have you?" 

"About what?" Elisa inquired.

"The new paint job on my car…" Matt tossed a pencil at her, "Come on… don't play stupid with me…"

"Sorry, knee jerk reaction…" Elisa picked up a file and made a few notes on it, "Maggie pretty much knows and I imagine Derek suspects but to answer your question, no… I haven't told my parents…"

"Why not?" Matt inquired, "Couldn't be any more of a surprise than finding out their son has wings…" 

Elisa balled up the report she was working on and threw it at him, "I'm just waiting for the right moment…"

Matt returned the gesture and toss the paper back at her, "And what right moment is that? When you amp out in front of them and give them a dose of the 'Red Eyes?'"

"It not that easy Matt…" Elisa shifted uncomfortably in the chair. She and Goliath were still trying to figure out the extent of their Bond and she didn't feel comfortable talking about it with others. She was about to change the subject when Officer Morgan walked over effectively doing it for her

"Sorry to interrupt Detectives, but I just got a call from street patrol…" 

Elisa glanced over to Matt before answering, "What's up, Morg?"

"They got something over on the West Side. It's probably nothing, but they're requesting a detective…"

***** ***** *****

When they got to the scene the press, media, and onlooker were scurrying all over the place. The beat cops were doing their best to keep others out while allowing officers in but it was nearly impossible. Several reporters called out to Elisa or Matt as they moved through the crowd. 

Elisa was forced to flash her badge periodically in order to clear a way to the front of the police barricade. Once they reached the front, Matt called out to an officer he recognized, "Hey Thompson…" 

A tall muscular officer turned and moved to them, "Man, am I glad you guys finally showed up…" 

Elisa surveyed the scene, "What's going on here? Morgan said this was a routine call… What are all these people doing here?"

"Come on. I'll show you…" They followed Thompson past the police barriers and camera crews. "Someone called in a dead animal… When we got here, we found this." 

He lifted a tarp so Elisa could see what he was talking about. It took several minutes of staring before Elisa figured it was not an animal but a human being. Based on the clothing she assumed it to be a young male but couldn't be certain since the body was a bloody mess. 

Elisa doubted anyone could have survived whatever had occurred and knelt down beside the body cautiously. "What the heck happened to this guy?" 

"Hit and run…" Thompson replied with disgust. 

"You find the body?" she asked.

"No, but I'm the senior officer for the scene…"

"Who found him?" Matt questioned.

Thompson indicated a small group of officers standing near the police barricade, "Officer Keller… He's the short one trying to act like he's not about to puke…"

Matt tapped Elisa on the shoulder, "I'm gonna go see if I can't get some details from him…"

She nodded knowing it was vital to get as many details as they could while it was still fresh in every ones mind. "How long has he been here?"

Thompson appraised the body carefully, "I'd guess not very long, but the Medical Examiner is on the way so he'll be able to tell you better than I can." 

He knelt down beside her and handed her a pair of rubber gloves. Elisa slipped them on her hands and gingerly searched though the pockets of the dead man's jacket, "I don't see a wallet or anything like that…" she murmured softly.

Matt returned a few minutes later and knelt down beside her, "Well this is just lovely isn't it? I talked with Keller and basically got nothing…"

Elisa shook her head slowly, "I don't know Matt. Something feels wrong about this…" 

"Ya think? Look at this guy; he's a hamburger. I'd say that was pretty wrong…"

She stood up, "Yeah, but this is different… a hit and run with this much news coverage? People die horrible, disgusting deaths in the city all the time and none of them ever got this much media attention…" She scanned the scene, "Something else is going on…" She turned to Thompson, "Has a search for the vehicle been started?"

The officer gave her a look of disgust, "No, we been to busy keeping the Rubber Neckers out of the area." He scratched his head absently, "We can work security until the Crime Scene Unit gets here and I've got a few bodies I can loan you for the search of the area, but as far as I'm concerned, you guys have it now." 

Elisa nodded, evidence collection was going to be a nightmare not to mention the questioning of potential witnesses. "Was anyone on scene when you got here?"

"Yeah, " he replied smugly, "About a billion people and the press getting the shots for their satellite feeds…" He replaced the tarp over the body to obscure it from the prying eyes of the press. The medical examiner had just arrived just and was making his way over to them. 

Elisa recognized him right away as Jack Miller having worked with him on a few cases before. He knew his job and thought like a cop, which meant he was willing to go the extra mile and look deeper into a case and wasn't one to accept the obvious. Elisa and Matt stepped away to allow him room to do his job but Thompson remained to assist the man.

Elisa looked at all the people milling about. Most of the officers at the scene were working crowd control, and from the looks of it they had their hands full. "This is a zoo…"

Matt nodded in agreement, "You won't get any argument from me."

She was about to respond when the ME called out to them so they moved back over to him.

"Hey Jack," Elisa introduced him to Matt and they exchanged pleasantries. "What do we have?" she asked.

"Dead body." The man said blandly. 

"We can see that," Elisa replied, "How long ago?"

"Lack of substantial rigor… One, maybe two, hours at the most…"

Elisa did some quick calculations and figured the accident must have happened just around dark. "What can you tell me so far?" 

"Hell, the guy is a bag of guts. It's gonna take a while to get thought all the surface stuff…" Miller rubbed the back of his neck, "I can tell you for sure he's got a broken neck since some of the bones are sticking out the back of his head."

Matt looked around the scene, "Well once we find the car, it will be easier…"

The ME gave Matt a disbelieving look and then glanced back to Elisa, "You think a car did this?"

"Yeah… patrol on scene reported this might be a hit and run…" she replied guardedly.

Miller shook his head slowly, "Look, I don't want to burst your bubble but there's no way this guy was hit by a car. The body is too far back from the road…"

"What about a fall?" Matt inquired.

"Well, it's possible but I seriously doubt it." Miller looked back to the body, "There's nothing he could have fallen from to do this kind of damage."

Matt glanced around, "Well then we have a problem...."

"That's an understatement," Elisa looked over to Miller who seemed preoccupied with the dead man, "OK… give me your real take on this…"

"Look, if this had been anyplace else I'd have said yes to a hit and run or even a nosedive, but being that he was found here…" Miller pulled the partners a few feet away from the officers working security, "Unofficially, I'd say someone did this to him. I think your looking at a homicide." 

"But something's missing…" Matt scanned the scene. He had been staring at the scene for so long he wasn't really sure what to look for anymore. He shifted around and looked at his partner and then the ME, "I don't see any sign of a struggle…"

Elisa scanned the area looking for possibilities when it hit her, a flash memory from her own resent experiences. 

"Blood..." she whispered. "From the condition this guy is in, there should be a lot of it since I doubt he has two pints left. Where's the blood?"

Matt swore softly under his breath, "Someone moved the body."

Miller moved back to the dead man, "This might be your death scene but I'm betting your crime scene was someplace else."

"Great…" Elisa looked at the body. Things were going from bad to worse and she could feel the apprehension building, "Did you find anything else Jack?

"Yeah, it's the closest thing to ID we have right now…" He exposed the man's neck so they could both see. Matt leaned in, sucking in his breath as he did. Elisa moved closer so she could look as well, and felt her heart sink. 

A Quarrymen pendant hung loosely on the chain around the man's neck. 

"Aw hell Partner," Matt said under his breath, "This is bad…" 

She said nothing but was thinking the same thing and this new discovery just made a bad thing about a thousand times worse. 

Miller look at the pair, "I'm finished here for now. The body will go down to County General until we can get some formal ID on him." 

Elisa looked at him, "Will there be an autopsy?"

"Department policy dictates we do one on all unattended deaths under suspicious circumstances. I think this one pretty much fits the bill on both counts." Miller pondered for a moment, "If it stays slow tonight, they'll cut first thing in the morning, maybe around 9 AM."

"Any chance of you doing it?" Elisa asked.

"I hadn't planned on it but I guess I could… why ya ask?"

Elisa gave him a sidelong glance, "I'd just feel better if I knew you were involved…"

Miller considered her request for a moment before speaking, "Sure, hacking up dead people is my life… Come on by about 8 and we'll get started early." He then turned and indicated to the others to take the body away. 

Once he was gone, Matt started slowly, "Elisa…"

"Matt, don't even think it..."

"I wasn't even going to suggest it… But you gotta admit this looks REALLY bad…" He was about to go on when Elisa stumbled and started to fall. Fortunately, he was close enough to catch her before she could hit the pavement. He looked around quickly but no one was even paying attention to them. 

Elisa looked pale as he walked her over to lean against a near by police car, "Are you alright?" he inquired

"Yeah… I just got a bit light headed that's all…" Her color was slowly coming back, "I didn't notice until just now, but I guess he must be closer than I thought…"

"Goliath is here?" He had to force himself not to look up, "Where?" 

She scanned the rooftops, picking up a mishmash of thoughts and tried to focus the Bond in an attempt to determine Goliath's location. "Maybe… a couple of buildings away at best…" She was silent for a moment, "But, I think one of the others might be with him…"

"Yeah… well… They're gonna have to wait…" 

Elisa noticed Matt wasn't looking at her, rather past her. Mayor Anderson had just arrived and was moving in their direction.

"This is not good…" They replied in unison.

***** ***** *****

Several officers were trying to distance themselves from the conversation that was getting louder by the second. 

Elisa was aggravated beyond belief, "Since when do you dictate case assignments?"

"Why is this such a problem for you Detective? I should think you have enough to deal with right now without concerning yourself with this matter..." 

Mayor Jeffery Anderson was speaking to Elisa in an extremely condescending voice and on a subconscious level Matt wanted to tell him what a bad idea it was. She was looking at the man with such hatred that Matt thought she might suddenly lash out at the man, or worse, Goliath might feel she was being threatened and swoop down and pummel him.

That defiantly would not help and Matt knew the situation needed to be defused before it escalated, "Elisa calm down…"

The Mayor gave her a smug expression, "Yes Detective Maza, calm yourself. This is a Gargoyle Task Force case now."

"Are you kidding me?!" Matt exclaimed, clearly taken back by Anderson's statement.

Elisa was fuming, "Last time I checked this was a human not some mythical creature."

Matt again tried to interject, "Come on Partner…"

Elisa could feel herself loosing control and continued to vent on the Mayor. "Death Investigations fall under Major Crimes… and since the GTF isn't a part of Major Crimes, how on earth do you figure it belongs to them?"

"The poor man was obviously killed by one of 'them'…" Anderson stated this as if he knew something the others didn't.

Matt jumped back in, "Whoa, we don't even know how this guy was killed…"

"Please Detective, let's look at the situation. The man was completely broken and this clearly was not an accident…"

Elisa was stunned into silence. They had just spoken to Jack Miller moments before and as far as she knew, he couldn't have had time to brief anyone. On top of that, no one else had seen the body. 

Except the press. 

__

Jesus, she thought. That must have been how Goliath found out; the story was on the news already. She was about to go off on the Mayor for interfering with an official police investigation when Captain Chavez walked over. 

"What's going on Detectives?"

Elisa and Mayor Anderson began speaking at the same time, both trying to make their opinions know. Captain Chavez did her best to listen to both sides of the argument but it was impossible with the two of them yelling over each other.

"Everyone shut-up!" Captain Chavez looked at the stunned faces, "Whether it's Major Crimes or the GTF is not the point. The case belongs to the 23rd collectively." 

Elisa took this to mean she had won and the Mayor lost, "Thank you Cap. If you all will excuse me I'll be going to work on MY investigation…" She turned to leave.

"Not so fast, I'm not done yet." She glanced at Elisa, "When's the autopsy?" 

Elisa turned to face Chavez, "Tomorrow morning, but Captain…"

Chavez cut her off, "Fine, you're on lead until then. If anything indicates the 'gargoyles' are involved, the GTF will take over." 

Mayor Anderson was flapping his arms in dismay, but Chavez ignored him and looked at Matt, "You'll work with her on this until then… In the event you have to take over." 

"Please Captain, tell me this is a joke!" Elisa felt her ears ringing and had a feel as to what was about to happen. From the look she was getting from Matt, she was dangerously close to showing them all what she desperately needed to keep hidden. She was about to give the Captain as well as the Mayor a very good reason to not only pull her from the case, but lock her up as well. 

"That's enough!" Captain Chavez was looking pointedly at Elisa by this time, practically daring her to challenge her again. "Does anyone have a problem with this?" 

Elisa finally fought down her temper and decided to put her pride as a secondary consideration. She had the utmost respect for her boss and didn't want her to think otherwise, "No…no problem."

Mayor Anderson looked as if he was having a conniption fit and was turning six shades of blue, "Yes Captain Chavez, I have a problem with this!" Elisa and Matt quickly bowed out of the conversation but not before they heard him begin to lay into Chavez, "What is the meaning of this? I was very specific in my request to have the GTF…"

Elisa moved further down into the alley to avoid over hearing the argument but knew that Chavez would stand her ground. At least for the time being. "We're gonna have to work fast, Matt…"

"Maybe it's a fluke…"

"We should be so lucky, because if someone is killing Quarrymen, we have big time problems…"

"No shit…" He was about to say more when a shadow seemed to come to life on it's own and moved near them. Matt nearly yelled out but some how managed to hold himself in check, "Damn it, you have got to quit doing that!"

Goliath and Brooklyn stepped closer but remained in the shadows.

"Are you alright?" Goliath asked quickly, the concern more than evident on his face. 

"Yeah," It suddenly occurred to Elisa how close they were to a very large number of uniformed officers. If someone where to see them it would pretty hard to explain. "Are you nuts? What are you doing down here?"

Matt looked around, "I'll keep an eye out… Try and keep the conversation short will ya?" He walked a few feet away and acted as if a small pile of garbage was worth some serious investigation.

"Elisa…" Goliath was speaking so softly that she had to move closer to hear him, "What happened tonight…?"

"We can't talk about it here… there's so many cops around here, you'd think there was a new donut shop opening or something..." 

"Hey Elisa, could you come here a sec…?"

Elisa spun around, Matt was blocking the view of the alley but she could see Captain Chavez walking toward them in the darkness. Spinning back to the pair, she began shoving them back, "On the roof, I'll be there as soon as I can…" 

Goliath paused and for one panicked moment Elisa thought he was going to stay, "Go!" she hissed. 

Instantaneously the pair melted into the shadows as if they had never been there. 

***** ***** *****

Captain Chavez thought she must have been seeing things. She could have sworn she saw Elisa Maza speaking to someone down in the alley. Once she closed the distance between Bluestone and herself there was no one there and Elisa was walking towards them alone. Several patrol vehicles were parked off with their lights flashing and she decided it must have been a trick of the lights. She approached the pair cautiously, "Would one of you like to explain what that little outburst was about?" 

"It's like this, Cap…" Matt said

"Save it, Bluestone, I pretty sure I don't want to hear it…" She focused on Elisa, "You are skating on very thin ice Detective." 

As far as Captain Chavez was concerned, Elisa Maza was an outstanding detective and possibly the best in the NYPD, but tonight she had pushed her luck. Hell, they both had and she was in no mood to pull punches. "Give me one reason why I don't yank you off right now… just one is all I'm asking for…" 

It took a moment for her to register that Elisa was pale and shaking but not because she was being yelled at rather because she appeared to be in pain. For a moment, Chavez thought the woman was about to pass out, "Are you alright, Detective?"

"No… I mean yes…" She shook her head as if to clear it, "I'm fine…"

Maria Chavez was no fool, something was wrong. She looked at Bluestone who was also looking at his partner with a great deal of concern. "What's going on? Is there something I should know about?" she asked guardedly.

Matt spoke for them both, "No… She's fine… it's just been a long night…" He lead her off by the arm, "Come on, let's get to work…"

Chavez watched the pair as they went to process the crime scene. After a few steps Elisa was walking on her own and seemed to be fine. 

But they were lying to her again, and she wanted to know why.

***** ***** *****

He stood off to the side but well within the confines of the crowd. No one took any notice of him and as far as he was concerned there was no reason for anyone to notice him. He was simply another on looker to the scene before them, another face in the crowd. From his vantage point he could clearly see Detective Maza walking with her partner. 

She glanced over the crowd and it was almost as if she looked right at him, but he knew she didn't see him. She had walked within inches of him when they first arrived on the scene and never gave him a second look.

So he knew he was safe. For now.

He watched as she spoke to several uniformed officers pointing in his general direction. They nodded and moved to the crowd preparing to take statements from those who might have witnessed anything. He slowly backed away, careful not to draw attention to himself. He couldn't afford to tip his hand yet by being questioned.

Not until all the pieces were in place.

***** ***** *****

Goliath and Brooklyn stood off in the shadows on the roof of a building several streets way from the flashing police lights. From their position, they could still see the scene but felt reasonably certain they would not be discovered. Brooklyn had to force himself not to pace and as distraction he looked over to where Goliath stood.

He'd barely spoken a word since they had seen the news report, a report that for some reason seemed to be drawing a lot of attention. It had seemed like a run of the mill story, another death in the city that, unfortunately had dozens of deaths every day. Then Lexington had seen Matt on TV and a few minutes later Elisa appeared. 

Only then had Goliath paid the report any attention. 

It was nothing new to see either of them on the TV, but for some reason he insisted on going there. Brooklyn had come along and even more odd, Goliath didn't protest. In fact, Brooklyn wasn't even sure Goliath realized he was with him. 

They stood in the eerie silence of the night. The feeling of Elisa's heartbeat was growing stronger and Goliath spoke softly, "She's coming…" 

A few minutes later her head appeared over the wall and Brooklyn moved to help her over and then assisted Matt, who was right behind her. 

When Goliath saw her, he practically dragged her into his arms, and normally she would have at least tried to hold him at arms length but instead welcomed his embrace, "Glad to see you to…" 

Brooklyn was about to ask them what was going on when Matt pulled him off to the side, "I think we need to give them a second or two…"

Deep down, Matt was worried Elisa's reaction in the alley had been because of Goliath presence. He knew Elisa had to fight to control her emotions because anything she felt sang out to Goliath and it now seemed she was having trouble masking them and that was going to be a problem. 

If Goliath were to react to something Elisa was feeling, it would put them both in jeopardy. 

Worse, if Elisa was to loose control, she might very well expose everything, including herself, to added danger. 

He ultimately decided what she needed was time to decompress; time to connect with Goliath and allow some of the tension to dissolve and he hoped Elisa could keep up appearances without destroying herself in the process. 

They all knew this relationship was not going to be easy on either of them.

Matt could see the effect it was having on Elisa and wondered if Goliath went through the same things. He made a mental note to speak with Owen or even Hudson later on about his concerns. After a few minutes she and Goliath finally walked over to them and Matt was relieved to see his partner looking better than she had earlier. 

"What's going on down there Elisa?" Brooklyn finally asked. 

"Just your everyday batch of thrill seekers trying to get their rocks off by looking at a dead body…" she replied.

Goliath was quiet, "What was the cause of this?"

Matt leaned against the ledge of the building, "Don't know yet, but it's not your run of the mill case that's for sure…"

Brooklyn looked puzzled, "Then what is it?"

Elisa took a deep breath before speaking, her head was throbbing with the onset of yet another killer headache, "Well, the victim looks like chopped meat and on top of that, we found something that might mean bigger problems down the road." She looked at Matt, as if asking permission to tell them. He nodded at her and she continued, "When the ME examined this guy… he had a Quarrymen necklace on…"

"No way…" Brooklyn voiced softly.

Elisa continued, "Yeah, and if he was a Quarrymen…"

They grew quiet as the news sunk in and Goliath's eyes blazed white, "The Humans will place blame where it easiest…" 

Elisa gave him a rough shove, but there was no real anger behind it, "Hey, remember who you're talking about…" She slipped an arm around his waist, "Matt and I are on this and we'll get to the bottom of it. No one has accused you of anything. "

Matt was about to remind her of the Mayor's words but a quick look from her told him now was not the best time to bring it up. 

"So what now?" Brooklyn asked heatedly.

Elisa turned to look at him, "Well the scene is processed and we can't do anything more until we determine who this guy is. With any luck we'll find that out at the autopsy but until then… We wait…" 

Matt scratched his head, "It would help if we could contact Canmore… Castaway… whatever the hell he's calling himself these days and find out if this guy was a member of his group…" 

"No!" Goliath roared out, "Elisa, you must not continue…"

"Goliath, please let's not get into this again…" she was cut off from saying anything else by gut wrenching pain. It felt as if her entire body was caught in a vice.

Goliath looked at her as if to say something but then sucked in a deep breath as if he himself had been struck. He looked at Elisa and for the first time that evening he realized how truly weak she looked. He pulled her to him, "Elisa? What's wrong?"

Elisa leaned into him, she felt like she was going to pass out but then as suddenly the pain came on, it was gone. "I don't know… I felt something like this earlier tonight… I thought it was you… Now I'm not so sure…" 

Matt and Brooklyn both moved in and helped Elisa sit down on the roof. "This couldn't be because of what happened at the Night Stone building… could it?" Brooklyn asked quietly. 

"No," Elisa replied firmly. "This felt familiar… Like the night I thought someone was watching us at the Castle… just more painful."

Matt scanned the sky, "Well whatever it was, we should probably get out of here…"

Goliath nodded, "Agreed." He pulled Elisa to him, "I will take you to the Castle." He gave her a look to indicate this was not open to debate. 

When she nodded in agreement Matt was shocked. She gave in way to easy and that just wasn't like her. He realized this might be worse than they thought and he could see the concern growing in Goliath's eyes so he knew he must have been thinking the same thing. "I'll bring the car over to the Castle. We have a few hours before the autopsy and I doubt Chavez will be expecting us back at the station anytime soon."

Elisa stood up slowly, "After the little display I put on tonight… I'll be lucky if Chavez let's me even stay on the case…"

"What are you talking about Elisa?" Goliath asked, "What display?"

Matt turned and faced him. Now would not be the best time to mention Elisa almost falling out in front of Captain Chavez, and he knew she would give him hell for even bringing it up, "We… ah… kinda had words with the Captain and Mayor Anderson. Anderson wants Elisa pulled from the case and giving Chavez nine kinds of hell about her even being on it…"

"That idiot wants to dictate how the NYPD works…" She looked at Goliath and then, needing to feel his presence, she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel her heartbeat racing to beat with his. The jumble that was his earlier thoughts had subsided once he knew she was safe but she still felt some of the turmoil. "That is not going to happen… Not if I can help it." she whispered.

"Why does he think you should not be involved with this case?" Goliath asked the question but had a good idea why someone might not want her investigating it.

"Big Guy…"

He looked down at her gravely, "Then we are already under suspicion…" 

"Like I said before… no one has accused you… at least not yet… and who's to say they ever will? Matt and me have dealt with worse…"

"I then I will have faith that you will find those responsible…" He was saying the words to assure her as much as to assure himself, but it was clear he was no longer certain it was true.

***** ***** *****

They stood in the Great Hall, Elisa was pissed at Matt, as well as Goliath, and making no effort to hide it, "Are both of you going to run to him every time something happens?"

Matt was not going to be bullied on this, "Yes, so just answer the stupid question." 

"This is crap! I just need some rest…"

Xanatos walked over, "You know better than that Detective. If something is wrong we need to find out now, and then figure out what to do about it."

That was the final straw, "Not with you I don't!" Elisa snapped.

Xanatos was clearly used to this attitude from her and continued on as if she hadn't said a word to him, "This isn't going to go away…"

"Oh yes it is." She stood as if to leave just as Goliath placed a restraining talon on her shoulder forcing her to remain where she was. "Aw… come on… Is anyone even on my side about this?" she pleaded.

Goliath knelt by her, "Elisa you know I am always on your side… but if they leave will you do this… for me?"

Elisa let her shoulder fall in defeat. She wanted to argue about it but one look from Goliath told her he wasn't going to let it go and the bottom line was she wanted to know what was going on with as well, "Fine…" she glared at Xanatos, "This has nothing to do with him…"

Owen stood in front of her patiently waiting as the others left the room and then continued Elisa's exam. After several minutes he removed the stethoscope from his ears, "How many time have you experienced this… feeling?" 

She looked at Goliath before answering, knowing he was about to react badly to what she was going to say, "Three… maybe four times…" she said softly.

"What?!" Goliath cried out incredulously. 

She placed a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him, "I thought maybe it was you…me… our bond. I figured this was how it was supposed to work…" She glanced back to Owen, "But apparently that's not the case…"

"Was Goliath was present at each instance?" Owen inquired.

Elisa was taken back for a moment, "No… He was there a few nights ago and then again tonight on the roof..." She intentionally left out the earlier incidents and stood slowly, "So is this… isn't a result of the bond?"

Owen crossed his arms thoughtfully, "I will need to run some additional tests…"

Elisa nodded absently. He didn't really answer her question and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, "Yeah…"

Owen turned to leave and Elisa got the impression he wasn't telling them everything but didn't have the mind set to press him on the issue so she said nothing and a few minuets later the rest of the Clan came back in.

Brooklyn walked over to them, "So what gives? Are you OK?"

Goliath moved in behind his beloved, "She appears to be fine. Owen was unable to find anything physically wrong and it does not appear to be a reaction to her... accident."

Elisa had to smile at his choice of words. Being shot by Demona and nearly dying wasn't exactly a text book definition of an 'accident' but to put it into any other category would be a stretch. She looked at the others, "It's probably just stress. Between dealing with Demona, trying to find Jon without looking like I'm trying to bash the Quarrymen and now this new case… It's stress… it's gotta be…"

Matt gave her a skeptical look, "You need some down time…"

"Matt, I've had more than my fair share of time off. We'll figure it out eventually, it's no big deal…" 

He shook his head slowly, "We need to get to the bottom of this before it gets any worse."

"Who says it's gonna get worse?" She replied defensively. Matt was about to respond but she cut him off before he could bring up the fact that she'd nearly fallen out long before Goliath and Brooklyn showed up tonight. Instead she looked at the rest of the group, "Well then, I'm open to suggestions... Any insight Hudson?" 

The elder looked thoughtful, "Nay Lass, I haven't the foggiest… tis new to me as well… I've never known gargoyles to bond in the way you and Goliath have…"

Goliath took a deep breath, "I don't believe it is a result of the Bonding either." He ignored Elisa's muffled comments of 'It's stress'.

"Too bad we're not on Avalon…" Angela said wistfully, "The Magus knew so much about us, surely he could have told us something." 

Brooklyn's brow was knitted tightly, as if deep in thought, "OK so if it's not a result of the bond…"

Lexington interjected, "Then it must be something else… Something that effects Elisa… but not Goliath…"

Something clicked in Elisa's thoughts spurned by Lexington's comments, "Hold on a sec… How do we know it doesn't affect him?" she turned to Goliath, "What made you come out there tonight?"

Goliath was thoughtful for a few minutes, "I saw you on the television…"

She shook her head, "No way, you've seen me on TV about a billion times and I can count the times you risked coming to a crime scene on one finger…"

Hudson walked over and stood by Goliath, "Ye know… ye have been acting strange all night… even before ya saw the Lass on the television…"

Goliath walked slowly away from him and leaned over the edge of the castle, looking down at the city below. Elisa moved to him and placed a hand on his broad shoulders, "OK… so it would have to be something outside the bond… but still connected to both of us…" 

Matt walked over to the pair, "We're gonna have to figure it out quick… Something tells me we might be running out of time." 

***** ***** *****

The young man stood silently in the middle of the room with his head down waiting for the last members of the group to take their appointed places.

Once everyone was situated, the young man looked his leader in the eye, "I am ready…"

A man broke ranks and moved in front of him, "You understand why this must be done?"

"Yes…"

"And the gift you give… you do so willingly?"

The young man nodded, "Yes, I do… 

The man turned to the rest of the group, "Is the candidate acceptable?"

The others spoke as one, "He is."

The leader nodded "Then your gift is accepted." He then looked to three members of the group and nodded to them. The others watched as the three took four steps forward and took the ready position.

The young man slowly knelt on the floor and lowered his head, "It is an honor to be chosen… This is my destiny… "

The three men moved in and waited for the signal to begin. The leader inclined his head and stepped back as the others accepted the gift the young man offered.

There was no turning back.

When the ceremony was over he, turned to one of the other members, "The stage has been set…"

***** ***** ***** 

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	10. Not What They Seem

****

Flashback Part 10: Not What They Seem

By Shadow Runner

[**Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com**][1]

Part ten in the series

Everyone associated with the Gargoyles is the property of Disney and whole slew of others who have a lot more money than I do. Do you seriously think I'd be eating Ramen Noodles out of a paper cup if I were making any money off this…?

Only a few belong to me…. That ain't saying much…. But if you like them and want to borrow, please ask first.

For Pony… who puts up with delay… after delay… after delay…

Hope you like and happy reading! J

***** ***** *****

Elisa and Matt sat in Captain Maria Chavez's office armed with what they knew was about to turn their lives upside down. They were going on almost 24 hours with no sleep but neither of them was the least bit tired. 

They were however very irritated. The meeting was not going well in part because Mayor Anderson had insisted on being present when they reported their findings from the Medical Examiner. 

Mayor Anderson stood just behind Captain Chavez, looking smug, "So what did you find Detective Bluestone?"

Elisa felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. He was acting like she wasn't even there and it bothered her all the more. She wanted nothing more than to walk over and slap the look off his face but a soft nudge from Matt forced her to put the thought aside.

Chavez looked that the man with distaste, "Detective Maza is lead on this… If you want to know what they found then ask her." She looked back at Elisa, "Who did the cutting?"

"Jack Miller, over at County General. He was at the scene last night so he's pretty up to date on the situation. Besides, I've worked with before on a couple of cases and he's one of the best."

Captain Chavez leaned back in her chair, "All right, tell me what we got."

Elisa made a mental note to thank her later for blowing off Anderson and opened the file. "No ID found on the body so they're listing him as 'John Doe #64'. White male, approximately 20 to 25 years of age, 5'10' in height and weight of 178 pounds. Dressed in blue jeans, black T-shirt, denim jacket, Black boots, socks and no underwear." 

"The clothing analysis is not necessary Detective," Anderson replied blandly, "Just move along to the results if you don't mind."

Elisa ignored him and continued, "Defiantly blunt force trauma. Multiple broken bones, crushed skull, with massive internal injuries, but it appears most the damage was inflicted after death... Miller couldn't positively determine what was used but he was certain there had to have been a weapon of some sort involved. No way this kind of damage could have been done with bare hands. He also didn't rule out that this guy might have been beaten in order to cover up the real cause of death..." She handed the file to Chavez.

Chavez flipped through the report, then looked up at Elisa, "So there is no chance this was an accident…"

"No way," Elisa pointed out several pages in the file, "The vertebrae in the neck were crushed indicating he may have been strangled and the nature of the uniformed bruising indicated a chokehold of some kind… maybe with the forearm… The hyoid bone in the throat was broken and that's consistent with strangulation… We still need the toxicology report but Miller should have it later today."

Chavez flipped through the rest of the report, "No distinguishing marks or tattoos visible… well… that is no big surprise since the body was such a mess." She flipped through the file again and looked over at Matt, "What's your take on it?" 

Matt shrugged slightly, "Like the report says, looks like someone choked him until his neck broke, then beat the tar out of him to cover it up." He looked over at Anderson, "That would make it a homicide, which falls under Major Crimes…" 

"Detective Maza..." Mayor Anderson turned to look at Elisa as he reached over and took the case file from Captain Chavez, "Does this strike you as a typical homicide?" 

Elisa fought the urge to snicker. She could see he was trying to bait her into a verbal confrontation but she was rapidly heading to the point where she might consider taking him up on the gesture. "There is nothing 'typical' about a homicide, Mr. Mayor." 

He ignored Elisa's comment, "But there would be some sign of a struggle… and since your report indicates no such struggle…" He looked up from the file, "This would have had to happen fast."

"Not necessarily. We might be looking at several people being involved rather than a single individual." Elisa produced a second file, "This is the advance report from the crime scene. No blood, no weapon, no witnesses, no prints we could lift, and even if we did, there is no one to even trace them back to unless the perpetrators have a felony file already. In fact, there is nothing to indicate this is where the man was killed…."

Chavez looked up at her, "So you believe the body might have been dropped there?"

"That would be our guess… Forensics said the body was clean. No dirt, fibers, or trace evidence from the scene where he was found.

Anderson looked at Matt, "Would it not take a great deal of strength to beat and move a man from one location to another?" His comments made Elisa wonder where he was going with this.

"Yeah, but like Elisa…" Matt checked his words, not wanting to use the familiar with the Mayor present. He got the distinct feeling if he did, the Mayor would too and he was certain Elisa would not appreciate the man using her first name as if they had somehow become friends in the last 10 seconds. "Detective Maza said we might be looking at more than one person…"

"Well then it is not inconceivable one of the beasts could have caught him, killed him, and then moved the body to this location…"

Elisa felt the last threads of her patience break loose, "This could have happened in any number of ways and most of them… hell, all of them, are better explanations than gargoyles! Money, drugs, gangs…who knows what this guy might have been involved with!"

"Please Detective, does this really appear to be a 'gang hit' to you?" 

"Why are you so dead set on blaming this on gargoyles!?" She challenged.

Mayor Anderson gave Elisa a hard glare as he spoke. "Why are you so determined to discount what is painfully clear to the rest of the world? I would think someone of you obvious intelligence would not be so quick to discount first hand reports from all over the city." 

Elisa did her best to side step the man's argument, "They don't even exist!"

"Well the rest of the city seems to accept the fact that they exist… there are even reports of you being seen with them…"

"This would be the same city that believes there are sixty foot alligators living in the sewer right?" Elisa felt her temper rising, "What the rest of the city thinks it believes is not the point. Are we just gonna blame every crime on 'gargoyles'? Oh yeah that's a good idea…'' She leveled a hard glare on the Mayor, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but 'Police' work involves uncovering the truth, not fiction… "

"So it's the truth you're after?" Anderson moved towards her as if to challenge her point, "And what would that truth be? The truth according to Detective Maza? How skewed would that be?"

Elisa tensed and took a step forward, "No more skewed than yours!" 

Under normal circumstances she might have been caught off guard by his comments, but at the moment she was more upset by the statements than the implications. She glanced over at Matt who had moved up beside her. At first she thought it was to prevent her from attacking the man but quickly realized he was equally upset as well. 

Captain Chavez cut them all off before the situation could escalate, "That's enough. Maza, sit down…" She leaned back and glared at Mayor Anderson making it clear she too did not appreciate the insinuation either.

Anderson quickly realized he was sorely outnumbered in the room and dropped his eyes back into the report. His eyes scanned the documents until he found what he was looking for, "Your report says he was a member of the Quarrymen…"

"I never said he was a Quarryman…" Elisa tried to yank the report back but the Mayor refused to let go. 

Matt looked at his partner, if they had wanted to keep this low key, it was out now. He looked at the Mayor and forced a neutral expression over his face, "We have nothing to indicate he was…" 

Mayor Anderson tossed the report on the desk as if it had bitten him, "He was found with a Quarrymen necklace around his neck! What else were you looking for? A Union Card?" 

Elisa ignored the Mayor's comments and leaned over the desk speaking directly to Captain Chavez, "Read the prelim report. The broken hyoid bone confirms the victim probably died as a result of strangulation…"

"We can read Detective…" The Mayor replied icily.

"Look at these pictures." She indicated several photos they'd received from the autopsy. "Miller said the neck and head area seemed to show the most damage. Hell, half this guys teeth were knocked out." she tossed the remaining files onto the desk, "It doesn't make sense to go through all that trouble only to leave something that blatant on the body…" 

The Mayor was trying to push his point home. "The Gargoyles are involved… It's probably a warning from them…" 

Chavez looked at the pictures and then at Elisa, "Is it remotely possible someone might be targeting the Quarrymen…?"

"Anything is possible but it still may not be the motive, this could be some guy who just happened to have a Quarrymen necklace. A simple matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time." 

Matt cut in, "The ME estimates the body had been there for about two hours. That means the murder would have to have been around 6 PM, give or take thirty minutes. When we got there, there were at least 60 to 100 people on the scene, not to mention half a dozen news crews. No one has claimed the body and he doesn't match any of the missing persons reports we have on file. Besides, if there was a gargoyle involved someone would have seen it, and based on the statements we took, nothing indicates one was involved." 

Elisa was lost in thought and something clicked in the back of her mind but she couldn't place it. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she scarcely heard Captain Chavez speaking to her. Matt nudged her slightly, bringing her out of her reprieve, "Ah…I'm sorry… I guess I missed that last part…"

Chavez appraised her slowly, once again the Detective seemed to be fading out of the conversation, "I was saying is there anything else about this case I need to be updated on?" 

"With what we have right now…" Elisa said slowly, "broken neck, sever beating, massive blood loss, but nothing found at the scene… I don't want to speculate any further…"

Captain Chavez knew what the detective was getting at. Elisa didn't want to say or do anything further if the case was about to be jerked out from under her. She looked back over at Matt, "You're certain there is no indication of gargoyle activity in this?"

"Nothing indicates one was involved." he replied firmly.

She nodded and then looked back at Elisa, "Fine, Bluestone is still your partner so he's on the hook as support, however this is not a GTF investigation."

The Mayor was furious, "This is an outrage! I plan to discuss this with the Commissioner…"

"Send him my regards. When he hears it from you it will be for the second time. My decision stands. This is Maza's case."

Anderson turned and stormed out of the office. Chavez shook her head and looked at her two detectives, hoping she made the right decision. "Alright let's get busy on this… Maza I want a list of people who were on the scene…"

***** ***** *****

Owen Burnett sat alone in his office. He'd just finished going over the cooperate repots for Xanatos Enterprise and as expected the Xanatos' would continue to be financially secure for the rest of their lives and probably remain that way for the next three to four generations. 

He straightened up the files and then set them on the corner of his desk to be delivered later. Leaning back in his chair, he took a deep breath before picking up a data pad which contained the agenda for the next meeting. He wanted to verify who should be attending in the unlikely event one of them was foolish enough to not attend. 

As he scanned over the information, the ringing of the private line pulled him from his tasks. He glanced over to the Caller Identification Unit and noted the number had a restricted ID, meaning the caller did not want it traced back to them. Flipping a few buttons on his console he checked a second unit which told him the number was a cellular phone. A few seconds later the number was identified as belonging to the New York Police Department.

Reaching over hit a button and put the call on speakerphone, "What can I do for you Detective Maza?"

"I'm not even going to ask how you knew it was me…" Elisa voice sounded tired over the line, "I need you to do me a favor, tell Goliath and the others to meet me on the West Side after sunset…"

Owen leaned forward, "Detective, I am Mr. Xanatos personal assistant, not a message service… A private line has been established for the Gargoyles…"

Elisa cut him off, "Well I'm asking you. Will you do it or not?"

"Of course Detective…" Owen paused for a moment, "Will there be anything else?"

The line was silent for some time before the detective spoke again, "Not unless you have something for me…"

The blond headed man's expression remained unchanged as he tapped his stone hand on the desk softly, "No Detective Maza… I do not…"

Owen believed he could almost see the look of irritation forming on her face as she spoke, "Whatever… Just make sure Goliath gets the message…"

Owen tapped the disconnect once the line went dead and looked at the phone thoughtfully. He knew what the detective was asking and he wasn't entirely truthful in his response to her and it was obvious she knew it. Of course she wasn't being very forth coming either.

But that would be changing soon. 

After a moment he stood up and walked over to a file cabinet and pulled several files out and returned to his desk and set them down. He placed her file on top and pulled out the DNA scan and traced a finger down the information until he came to the microscopic section that had been altered. There was no doubt this small abnormality was the reason Elisa Maza was able to experience the Bonging at all. 

It was the only logical explanation, but there were subtle differences which made Owen question the status of Gargoyle/Human Bonding. 

According to Hudson, who had been less than willing to even discuss the matter with him, a Gargoyle felt and knew nothing during the Stone Sleep therefore the connection, even between bonded mates, was severed while sleeping.

Elisa and Goliath both stated the Bond was severed during Stone Sleep but the nigh Elisa was injured, the Bond was clearly not severed.

Despite the anomalies in her genetics, she was limited as to what she could pick up from Goliath and usually had to focus unless they were in close proximity.

Therefor, it appeared her connection to him was restricted to a certain degree.

Goliath on the other hand was able to locate her almost anywhere in the city by the beat of her heart and knew if she was responding to a strong emotion without having to focus at all.

Therefor it appeared his connection to her was not restricted.

Which could mean Goliath was responding to more than just the gargoyle traits now engrained in Elisa Maza.

Which was far more interesting to Owen… and David Xanatos.

***** ***** *****

There was very little for them to do. The sun had set a few moments ago, and Elisa sat in the Fairlane, waiting on Matt to come back with something for them to drink while waiting for the others to show up. She was flipping through her copy of the case file, looking at the crime scene photos and replaying what little she knew about the events that night in her mind. 

She still had the uneasy feeling there was something obvious she should be seeing but whatever it was, it was still eluding her. 

She closed the file just as Matt pulled open the passenger door and climbed in. He handed her one of the cups and sat down while trying not to spill coffee all over himself as he did. Elisa waited until he got himself situated and then handed him the case file, "Well the Mayor was right on one aspect. Whoever did this was probably big…"

"Yeah…" Matt glanced over the contents of the folder and looked over at her, "OK, under normal circumstances, who would be our usual suspects? I mean, if you had to pull in one person on a homicide case, who would it be?"

Elisa brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes, "Human or otherwise?"

"Both." He replied with a smile. All things considered, it might not be a bad idea to think about ALL the usual suspects.

Elisa was quiet for a moment, "Well, on the human side, and if this was a year ago, I'd have said Xanatos…"

Matt took sip of his coffee and wiped at his chin as some of the contents spilled out of the spill proof lid, "And now?"

"Doubtful… but I reserve the right to change my mind… besides I'm sure he'd buy an alibi if he thought he might need one." She took a deep breath, "Beyond that… Severious… maybe a of the member of the Pack… I don't know, pick a problem child…"

After a few minutes of silence Matt spoke softly, "You didn't mention Dominique Destine…"

"Yeah, well… there's a reason for that…"

Matt waited patiently for her to continue and when she didn't he gave her a questioning look, "OK… care to elaborate?"

Elisa took a sip of her own coffee and winced realizing Matt hadn't put any cream or sugar in it. She hunted around on the seat looking to see if he had even bothered to get any, "Simple… I don't think it's her…"

Matt dug into his pocket and pulled out the packets his partner was looking for and gave her a cocked eye, "You're kidding…"

"Don't get me wrong…" Elisa set the coffee of the dash and emptied the creamer and sugar into the cup and replaced the lid, "Normally she would have been at the top of my list, but this isn't her style…"

Matt paused and seemed to consider Elisa opinion before responding, "But she does have the motive… I wouldn't be so quick to discount her, in human or gargoyle form." 

"Maybe," Elisa agreed after a moment, "But it's not like Demona… there's not nearly enough flamboyance and I doubt she has the patience to work this way. Despite what people see on TV, it takes a lot of time to strangle a man and then beat him the way this guy was…"

She looked up at the horizon and saw several winged forms moving in their direction. A few minutes later she heard the soft thumps of their landing in the darkened alley. 

They exited the car and walked over pulling down the police tape as they entered the darkened area. For some reason it looked more onmious than it had the night before night. Elisa assumed it was the lack of light and the fact she was worried some unwanted guest might show up at any second. But the fan fair was gone; the press had lost the sent of blood and had other news to cover. 

For now. 

So far the Quarrymen information had not been made public but it was only a matter of time before it became common knowledge. Elisa wanted to be one step ahead of the game when that happened.

Goliath, Hudson and Angela stood in the darkened alley waiting for them causing Elisa to wonder where the others were. It quickly dawned on her there was no way Goliath would allow the entire Clan to come along. Some one had to remain behind as back up… just in case. 

"Elisa," he replied in his deep gravely voice. 

Even after at this time, it still gave Elisa goose bumps to hear him speak her name. She smiled at him, mentally letting him know she wanted nothing more than to be held by him, but this was not the time or the place for self indulgent fantasies, "Thanks for coming…"

Angela took a step forward and handed Elisa a paper bag, "We thought you might want this…"

Elisa cocked her head and opened the bag. A wide grin spread over her face as she pulled her bomber jacket out. A quick examination showed no sign of blood and nothing to indicate what she and the jacket had been subjected too. Slipping it on happily she smiled at the others, "I'm totally going to owe Fox for this…"

Hudson walked over and placed a fatherly talon on her shoulder, "Evenin' to ye lass… What causes ya to be bring us out this evenin'?"

She was about to respond when her pager went off. It was the emergency response number for the 23rd's Desk Sergeant. She looked over to Matt, "Let me see your cellular…" 

He reached into his pocket and tossed her his cell phone. Elisa caught in mid air and dialed the number, "Yeah, this is Maza…" She stood still as she listened to the voice on the other end and Goliath felt her anxiety level rise several notches. "Ok, we're on our way… Yeah, call the Medical Examiner's Office… Ask for Jack Miller and tell him we'll meet him out there…" 

She turned to the others but it seemed they knew what it was before the words even got out of her mouth, "We got another one…"

***** ***** *****

Elisa stood over the body. She didn't really need to look but did so anyway. Once again the victim was badly beaten to the point no identification could be made visually. She could see the silver Quarryman necklace glinting slightly in the night and Jack Miller had confirmed this man too had a broken neck. 

Matt walked over to her, "This makes two. No ID and no witnesses." he pulled her off to the side and lowered his voice, "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know…" she replied softly.

"Well we had better come up with something quick." They both turned and watched as yet another news van pulled up, "The press is gonna short stroke this…"

"Tell me about it…How did they get here so fast?" she quietly replied. Matt shook his head, he had no idea either.

Elisa looked out over the scene. So far what they were seeing was consistent with the other case, so there was little doubt in her mind they were dealing with the same killer or killers. The big question was why? Why kill Quarrymen? She walked over to where Miller was bagging up the body for transport to the morgue.

He winked at her as he collected his things, "Lovely night for a homicide isn't it Detective?"

She ignored the look but smiled at him, "Is there anything about this one that's different from the other?"

Miller stood up and pulled his rubber gloves off, "Let's just say I could probably forgo the cutting and just xerox the last report I gave you. Hell it looks like they even had the same style of clothing on."

Elisa shook her head, "I was afraid you'd say that…"

"Well the upside is I might be able to tell you the weapon you should be looking for… this one has what looks like wood fragments lodged in the chest cavity and I can defiantly tell you the body was moved. I found a few areas which show signs of lividity…"

Elisa perked up at this information. Lividity was the pooling of blood in the body when it remained in one position for an extended period of time after death. The fact that the body showed some sign of it was a break.

"Where at?" she asked while pulling a small notebook out of one of the interior pocket of her bomber jacket. She was beginning to feel more like her old self since getting it back.

Miller noted she didn't have a pen and pulled one from his own pocket and handed it to her as he spoke, "Front side, on the arms and legs…" 

Matt glanced over to the body, "This guy was found on his back…" 

The ME nodded, "Well he was on his face for a while before he was moved here."

"Great…" Elisa muttered jotting down a few notes, "Anything else?"

"No, but the tox screen for the other Doe should be ready, so if you want, swing by in the morning and I'll give it to you after all the festivities..." 

Elisa nodded, "When do you think you'll have the final report on the other Doe?"

"Well since I'm sure you're gonna beg me to do this one… Give me a week…" He pickled up his gear and left the pair to their investigation.

Matt turned to Elisa, "Well where do you want to start?

Elisa scanned the area as they moved about the scene, "Matt… when was the last time the press has either beaten us to the scene or arrived within seconds of us?"

"You mean outside of the last hamburger we scrapped up or without Xanatos being involved?" Matt paused waiting for her to jump all over the comment and decided she wasn't in the mood to bash on Xanatos at the moment. He gave her a close look, "What are you getting at…?"

"Think about it…" Elisa exhaled a breath of exhaustion mixed with animosity, "Nothing was called out over the police frequencies so I doubt the info got out that way and since we haven't issued any press releases about this…"

She pointed in the direction of the news crews who were in the process of setting up their equipment but only one crew appeared to be reporting already. 

The news crew for WVRN. 

The same news station Jon Canmore used to work for.

Elisa looked back to meet Matt's dubious expression, "Travis Marshall."

"What about him?"

"He was the first reporter on the scene last night _and_ tonight…"

Matt gave her a suspect look, "Well… He _is _a reporter… It's part of his job to find this kind of stuff out…"

A look of understanding came over Matt's face, "You think there's a leak..."

Elisa nodded in the affirmative, "I think he has someone on the inside… In fact I'm betting on it…" 

"Are you nuts?!" he exclaimed. "I thought crackpot theories were my department…"

"Not any more…" Elisa sighed again and looked up the rooftops. In the shadows she could scarcely make out the shape of Goliath and the others, "I want this to stop Matt. Before it's too late…"

***** ***** *****

Once again he stood in the crowd, watching and observing.

He smiled grimly as he took note of Elisa Maza's actions. She was looking to the rooftops, unaware that the real threat was only yards away from her.

Slowly he moved away from the crowd, planning the next move.

***** ***** *****

"So, Captain Chavez, what is the latest on the Quarrymen Killings?"

"Detectives Maza and Bluestone are processing the scene now…" Maria Chavez took a deep breath before continuing, "We're getting closer, it's only a matter of time before we get whoever is responsible."

"You mean 'them' don't you Captain?" Mayor Anderson stood behind Commissioner Stanton with a smug look on his face. 

She chose to ignore the remark keeping her focus on the man before her, "My detectives have been working on this round the clock. They are the best and they'll get him." 

She put a bit more stress on the word 'him' than she intended and it wasn't lost on either of the men.

Commissioner Stanton looked to the Mayor and then back at his chief of detectives, "Tell me again why you felt this was not a Task Force matter…"

Captain Chavez took a deep breath and slowly began to fight the fight she was no longer sure she could win.

***** ***** *****

"Damn it!"

John Castaway balled up the newspaper and threw it across the room. He couldn't believe what he was reading. He glanced over to where three charter members of the Quarrymen were waiting for his orders, "Have either of these men been confirmed as members?"

Allen Jenkins flipped through a large ledger, "Not yet Sir, but we still have fifteen members we haven't been able to contact."

Castaway glared at the young man, "Then why are you still sitting here? Christ do I have to do all the thinking around here? Get the fuck out there and find them. Better yet, go down to the Medical Examiner's office and request to see the bodies…"

The young man flinched slightly, "I tried this morning when the story broke but they wouldn't let me. The guy I spoke to down there said I'd have to go through Detective Maza or Bluestone to view the bodies."

John clenched his teeth tightly, "They are doing this to draw us… me… out…" he murmured under his breath.

Jenkins wasn't sure what his boss was referring to, but got the distinct impression the conversation was over. He stood and the other two men followed his lead, "What do you want us to do Sir?"

Castaway fingered the Quarrymen pendant, which hung around his neck and for the first time since the Beasts tore his family apart, the consequences of his actions were of no concern to him. He turned to the men, his expression unreadable, "Find them… I don't care how you do it… but find them…"

Jenkins nodded to him and fought to keep his expression neutral as he walked out the door, but inside he was glad to see the boss had come to his senses.

It made his job that much easier. 

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	11. Shadows of Doubt

****

Flashback Part 11: Shadows of Doubt

By Shadow Runner

Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com

Part eleven in the series

Anything related to the Gargoyles is not mine and just to keep things honest and not get sued… Disney owns them.

One or two are mine… but in the big scheme of things… that's not saying much unless you want to use them… Why, I have no idea but hey it could happen… so please ask…

For Wyvern and Feathers… now tell the chicken to back off…

This version was updated on Feb 6, 2000 in order to fix a continuity problem… nothing major but it need a bit of tweaking..

Hope you like and happy reading! J

***** ***** *****

Three days later the total of deaths had risen to four and they were no closer to an answer than before and Elisa was beginning to get discouraged. The situation was getting worse by the second and word was out on the streets; someone was on a killing spree and Commissioner Stanton, Mayor Anderson, and the public in general were breathing down their necks for an arrest. 

Captain Chavez was doing her best to keep everyone at bay, but if Elisa knew if she didn't get a break soon things were going to get ugly. She was afraid it was only a matter of time before the Mayor won the argument and case would have to be given to the Gargoyle Task Force.

Elisa had made several attempts to contact the Quarrymen and had been completely unsuccessful. The group had been secretive before all this started and it had only gotten worse since the story broke that they were the killer's intended targets. Besides she didn't really expect to be at the top of Jon Canmore's welcome list anyway.

Jon Canmore, A.K.A John Castaway, had once again taken his merry group of gargoyle basher's underground in light of the situation and while it didn't surprise Elisa, it bothered her. Despite trying to remain hidden someone was still finding the Quarrymen followers and killing them. 

If this was an effort to force the Hunter into the light, it wasn't working and his followers were paying the price. Which was bad for more reasons than just people dying and it put everyone in an awkward situation.

If Canmore came out publicly the worst case scenario would be that Demona would find him and kill him out of spite. If Elisa found him first, it might keep him alive but it would mean eventually having to expose him as a Hunter and then Jon would more than likely try to expose the Clan. 

In either scenario it would become common knowledge that not only did the Gargoyles exist but if Demona killed Jon, the public would most likely believe the rest of the Clan might be responsible for the other killings as well. 

On top of everything else, she had been having other problems to deal with which were more of a personal nature but she was beginning to suspect they might be linked to the case.

Now that she was aware of the Bond she'd gotten better about controlling her temper and usually when the gargoyle traits showed they were associated with an emotion and specifically something she herself was experiencing. 

But at the crime scene for the most recent murder, she had nearly passed out from a nerve blasting 'feeling' and would have hit the pavement had Matt not been hovering over her like a vulture. 

The 'feelings' always came without warning, had no clear focus, and were physically painful. She argued that it had to be a reaction to nerves that had been worn thin over the past few months. Besides, Goliath had been no where near and Elisa could think of nothing that might have brought it on. 

She knew Goliath could 'feel' nearly anything that happened to her. 

But he had no idea about the previous night.

She was pulled from her reprieve as Matt walked over with the latest lab reports, "Well, nothing new on the most recent victims…"

"That is not what I wanted to hear Matt…"

"What do you want to hear then?"

"What I want to hear is something other than the fact that all the victims are males, between 20-25, dressed alike and possibly Quarrymen…"

"Then I guess you wont be talking to me tonight…" Matt sat down at his desk and tossed the reports to her, "Miller found wood splinters in both of the new ones…"

"Well that might be something…" Elisa mulled over the report, "Victim two had wood splinters… That might indicate the same weapon, or at the very least the same type weapon, is being used."

Matt leaned over the desk, "Miller is figuring a bat, he found some bruises that fit the pattern."

"Maybe the killer will quit when it breaks." She mumbled.

"We should be so lucky… Anyway he said you can come down and sign for the evidence he got back from the Forensics Lab." Matt gave her a sidelong look, "Any word on the other leads?"

"Naw… No sign of Demona and Canmore hasn't so much as poked his nose out… Lex hasn't seen any sign of them on the net either…" 

Elisa looked over the files a bit longer before rising and picked up her jacket from the back of her chair, "Let's go check in with the guys. Maybe they're having more luck."

They walked out into the hall and were so preoccupied with their own conversation, they failed to notice the young man walking towards them with a stack of papers in his arms. Elisa ran right into him causing the files to go everywhere.

"Hey… whoa, sorry… didn't even see you there…" she replied hastily.

The young man bent over and hurriedly picked up the fallen papers, "No it was my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going..."

Elisa knelt down to help him collect the papers, "What are you doing back here?" 

The man quickly began pulling papers out of her hands, startling her by his abrupt actions, "I was on my way to the file room…" 

Matt bent over to help him collect the mess, "Well it's on the other side of the building and you gotta be more careful about where you go around here. This area is restricted to detectives and police officers only."

"Sorry… I must have gotten lost." The young man grinned sheepishly at Matt and pulled the pages from him as well, "I'll get them…" He replied briefly and glanced over at Elisa, "You're Detective Maza right?"

She gave him the once over before responding. He was probably in his early twenties, with dark hair and not entirely bad looking, but something about him didn't quite click. "Yeah… Haven't seen you in here before…"

"Ah… yeah… I'm a temp…" He quickly gathered the rest of the papers and moved out of their way allowing them to room to pass by.

Elisa paused for a moment and continued to stare at the young man, "Well, sorry about the mess. Hope I didn't screw up those files…"

The young man looked away, "No harm, I can fix them later." 

It was obvious Elisa and Matt weren't moving until he did. The young man quickly arranged the papers so he could carry them and clumsily moved down the corridor towards the other side of the building. He glanced back at them for a moment and then continued on down the hall without stopping. 

Elisa waited until the young man was out of earshot before speaking to her partner in a hushed tone, "Have you seen him in here before?"

Matt followed the man's movement, "Nope… but with all the reconstruction going on, I'm not surprised. The Department hired about 30 temps to help out until things get settled in here."

Elisa nodded absently, "Remind me to ask Morgan about him."

Matt gave her a teasing look, "Isn't he a bit young for you?" 

"Please, I have enough on my hands already…" 

Her tone was mild but Matt immediately recognized the look in her eye as he had seen it too many times before. Something about the temp was bothering her, "You want to run a check on him now? We got the time…"

"No… just a gut feeling. It didn't seem like he was lost…" She gave one last look down the hall before walking in the opposite direction, "and I got the feeling he was looking for me..."

***** ***** *****

Forty minutes later, they all stood in the Great Hall. Elisa looked over Lexington's shoulder as he tapped away, "Anything on Castaway or any of the Quarrymen."

"No, but there's a hole bunch of new gargoyle pages up. A lot of people thinking we're the ones going this."

Elisa turned to Goliath, "We have to do something soon. Chavez is getting a lot of pressure to turn this over to the GTF."

Matt bristled slight at the comment, "You ain't kidding. I'm getting calls from all over from people wanting to know why I'm not doing my job and getting you guys off the streets."

Angela wrapped her arms around her body as if to hug herself, "Aren't we innocent until proven guilty?"

"In most cases yes…" Matt answered, "but this is a little different…"

Broadway put down the sandwich he was working on and moved closer to Angela, "Well it shouldn't be…" he replied sullenly.

Matt was about to respond when his cell phone shrieked for his attention. He pulled it out and walked outside so as not to have anyone over hear the conversation going on in the room over the open phone line.

Brooklyn took a deep breath, "I just don't get it… I mean who in this city has a reason to see the Quarrymen dead?" 

Angela looked at her father, her eyes full of pain, "My mother does…"

"Angela," Elisa paused for a moment before walking over to her, "I don't think Demona had anything to do with this…"

Goliath nearly fell over in surprise, "How can you be sure?"

"For one thing, autopsy results indicated all these guys were killed anywhere from 2-5 hours before we were notified. That suggests a daytime killing, which would mean Dominique Destine. As sexist as it might sound, I don't think she could inflict this kind of damage and then move the body without someone seeing her do it, human or otherwise. Besides, the last thing she would want to do is something that might draw attention to her nocturnal habits… And second… It doesn't 'feel' like her…" 

"Somebody is doing this, someone with an interest in making it look like we are the ones responsible for all this." Goliath proposed. 

Brooklyn hopped off the chair he was perched on, "What I don't get is why is the Hunter staying low. I mean, you'd think with all the anti-gargoyle propaganda going on, he'd be ecstatic about all the publicity and denouncing us for knocking off his followers."

Elisa had to agree since she was counting on Jon Canmore coming forward at some point, but was rapidly loosing faith it would happen. It was almost as if he didn't care his followers were being picked off one by one. With the exception of the pendant, Elisa still had no ID on the victims and no one had reported a missing son, boyfriend, or spouse recently. 

Lexington sat in front of the computer screen with his mouth hanging open, "Unless…"

Angela walked up behind him, "Unless what?"

"What if these guys who are being killed aren't really Quarrymen…"

Elisa moved over to where he sat, "Lex, what makes you say that?"

He was about to answer when Matt began snapping his fingers at them to get their attention, "OK… I'm on my way." He hung up the phone and started for the elevator, "That was Chavez, we need to get over to Central Park, ASAP."

***** ***** *****

It was beginning to rain. Elisa pulled her jacket tightly around herself and flipped the collar up to ward off the dampness. Originally she had assumed it was going to be another homicide, but once they arrived on the scene it became clear that wasn't the case.

It was a gargoyle sighting. 

Matt was finishing up a statement for the press with Captain Chavez, Commissioner Stanton, and Mayor Anderson. The GTF had been on the scene and in the park for nearly two hours and no one, including the press had seen anything even remotely resembling a winged creature.

Elisa, wanting nothing to do with that mess and unwilling to let the Mayor see her at the scene, moved to far side of the search area. She wore the newly repaired transmitter safely concealed within her red bomber jacket and spoke softly into the microphone, "I don't get it…"

Goliath's voice came through the small receiver, "They have found nothing?"

She glanced over the scene a few minutes longer before answering him, "Not a damn thing…" she looked over at Matt who had just returned from his press conference, "Why are we even out here?"

"I don't know… Maybe the Mayor thinks the GTF needs more face time..." He scratched his head disgustedly and shifted around so that Elisa could stand under the umbrella he was holding, "A rookie from the 52nd Precinct got an anonymous call about a female gargoyle in the park. He said the voice was being distorted or something but with all the killings going on, he figured it might be something to link the gargoyles to them… Idiot called it out over an open frequency, without letting the GTF Command Post know first…"

Elisa shook her head in disbelief at the actions of the rookie. News crews often monitored unsecured police frequencies, and it would explain how the press had picked up the information so fast. She looked over at him, "Do you think it was a prank?"

"Looks like it…" Matt replied.

Elisa paused, "Then why call it specifically as a female gargoyle?"

"Attention maybe? I dunno, but believe me I'm glad the rest of the clan stayed back… I doubt they would have reacted well to the possibility of Demona being around right now." He glanced at his partner, "Where's the Big Guy?" 

Elisa smiled. To her knowledge, she was the only one to call Goliath that and she wondered how he would react to someone other than herself using the nickname. "On the far side of the park, well outside the search area. He'll be OK as long as no one gets to gung-ho about searching outside the perimeter you established."

Matt scanned the area, the GTF was in full force tonight with he and Elisa arriving at roughly the same time as the team. The search area was well lit by the shear number of news crews and police vehicles, but it wasn't helping any. He looked down at the ground, which was quickly becoming saturated with rain. The mud was going to make things much harder to find anything… provided there was something to find. 

Yet in the back of his mind something told him there had to have been something to the call. The task force had received hundreds of prank calls and false alarms in the past few weeks, yet this was the first time the entire GTF had responded since the battle with the Hunters at St. Damein's Cathedral.

Elisa pulled a pair of Night Vision Goggles from her pocket and scanned the area. The NVGs had been provided by one of the sniper teams who were deployed in various areas around the park. The darkness was transformed into differing shades of greens, but the only images she picked up were those of the other officers or members of the media. 

She handed them back over to Matt and then spoke loud enough so Goliath could hear her through the transmitter receiver, "Well I think it's safe to say what or whoever it was, isn't here now…" 

Elisa could hear as well as feel Goliath's apprehension through the receiver as he spoke, "If she ever was…"

Matt apparently overheard him or knew what Goliath was going to say, "Well right now, we got nothing and it doesn't look like that's gonna change…" he reached over and pulled a radio from his jacket, "Command One to all teams…"

He paused and waited for teams to report in before speaking again, "OK People, listen up…. Make one last sweep of the area and then wrap it up…"

As soon as he made the announcement they both saw the Mayor change his stride form leaving the scene to storming over towards their direction. Elisa managed to slip unnoticed into the shadows just as Mayor Anderson went on the offensive about stopping the search. Captain Chavez had also seen what was about to happen and had moved in to intercept the conversation.

Elisa breathed a sigh of relief, at least Matt wouldn't be alone on this one since she had serious doubts her presence at the scene would help things.

She moved carefully through the park until she came to Goliath's location on the lower side near the south entrance, "Well once again, we come up with zip, zero, zilch, nada."

Goliath looked at his beloved and felt a pang deep within his chest. Elisa was tired, frustrated, and near collapse, yet she still insisted on keeping the increased pace she had set for herself. He was trying to be more understanding by not insisting she slow down, but it still weighted heavy on his thoughts. He took a deep breath and looked down at her, "So will you remain for the search?"

"No… Matt's pulling everyone in and I have some paperwork to fill out with Jack Miller over at the M.E.'s office. I'll tell Matt to meet me at the Castle before dawn and we can all compare notes then." She pulled the police radio from her pocket and waited for some of the other traffic to die off before trying to call over to Matt, "Command One, this is Six…"

It took a few minutes for him to respond and when he finally did, he sounded tired, "Six this is Command One, go."

"Yeah, I've completed the sweep on this side. I'm going to get with Miller and will meet you later for debrief." 

"Copy that Six… Be careful… and you might want to take an alternate route. Road here is… blocked…"

Elisa cringed and took his reply to mean the Mayor was still over on that side of the park causing problems, "Thanks Command… will take under advisement… Six out." 

Matt's voice came back over before she could turn off the radio, "Six, are you taking back-up with you?"

For the past year, back up was their private code for any member of the Clan who might accompany them to a scene. It was the only one they could come up with that didn't come right out and say 'gargoyle' or using names that might indicate a specific person. Without thinking she responded, "Negative Command, Six out." 

Elisa shut off the radio without waiting for his response and looked out over the park. The rain had yet to stop and if anything it seemed to have increased in the few minutes she and Goliath had been standing there. "Damn, my ride is on that side… guess that means I'm gonna be strollin' in the rain…" She started out across the park, looking over her shoulder at Goliath, "I'll see ya later, Big Guy…" 

While he didn't say it, Elisa could read the look on his face, the disappointment about her leaving was more than evident and it didn't take a brain surgeon to tell he didn't like the fact that she was planning to go alone, "Listen… you feel like coming along? I doubt it will take that long, and I could use the company…"

Goliath knew she neither needed nor desired the company, rather she was trying to ally his discomfort, but since she offered, he wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to watch over her. He nodded gravely and gave her a soft smile, "Well, if you insist…"

She glanced around, "Guess there isn't a place to take off without someone seeing us…"

"No, we will have to stay on the ground for now. There is an area near the entrance that should be safe enough."

They moved in the shadows, careful to avoid any of the few remaining search teams and when the feeling hit, once again it came from nowhere. She staggered slightly and fell to the ground, rolling the rest of the way down the small hill they were walking across. 

What the hell…?

For some reason her arms and legs were no longer responding to her mental commands, her vision was coming in and out of focus and breathing was becoming difficult. She tried to force herself up but to no avail, it was as if she were lying in quicksand.

Goliath was quickly by her side trying to help her to her feet, "Elisa…"

The voice came at him from behind, "Don't move…"

Goliath lifted his head and immediately felt his temper flare. He started to rise but halted when he saw the weapon pointed at Elisa. 

"One more step and I will kill her…"

Elisa's breathing was coming out in ragged gasps. She felt as if she were being held under water, but in a bizarre way, the whole situation made sense. In fact a lot of things were beginning to make sense to her now. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the weapon pointed at her but more alarming she could see dark shapes moving in on them from the shadows. She fought to raise her hand in warning, "No…" 

The butt of the weapon came down hard on the back of her skull and she dropped like a stone. 

Goliath leaped for the attacker, but before he could complete the movement, a flash of light and a nearly deafening explosion pierced the darkness. 

***** ***** *****

Matt rode up alone in the elevator shaking the last of the rain off his coat. He'd received his 'Golden Key' a few days ago and this was the first time he'd had the occasion to us it. Xanatos had been vague concerning the rational for giving him one but he imagined it had something to do with Elisa. He supposed it didn't really matter why Xanatos found it necessary to give him one, it was enough that he had one. 

He stretched and yawned. At the Mayor's insistence they'd spent another hour looking for nothing and he was exhausted but relieved to not only be out of the park but the rain as well. When the doors finally opened he saw Lexington diligently tapping away at the keyboard of the computer.

The young gargoyle spoke to him without looking up from whatever hacking he was working on, "Hi Matt."

"Hey Lex… Where's everyone at?"

Lexington continued to tap away at the keyboard, "Outside waiting on you guys I guess."

"Hmm, the rain must have just stopped…" Matt paused for a moment as his cell phone began to ring. He pulled it from his pocket and punched a button, "Bluestone…"

"Matt, it's Jack Miller… Do me a favor, when you see Elisa let her know I might have something. Looks like the pendants were put on after the victim's were strangled."

Matt cocked his head slightly, "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I just got conformation from the Lab. If they were worn at the time, there would have been some mark from it. These guys were clean. I've already added to my report and it's ready for pick up when ever she gets around to stopping by."

"Thanks Miller, I let her know…" Matt paused before terminating the call, "Hold up a sec… You mean Elisa hasn't picked up the reports yet?"

"No…" Miller paused before responding, "I just assumed she was going to come by in the morning…"

Matt hung up without waiting to hear the rest of what he had to say and punched in the number for the 23rd thinking maybe she'd gone there first. When Officer Morgan told him she hadn't checked back in, he hung up without another word. He slowly began walking across the Great Hall picking up his pace as he moved so by the time he got outside he was running. 

He nearly collided with Brooklyn and Hudson and then gasp out, "You haven't seen Elisa have you?"

Brooklyn shook his head slowly, "I thought she was with you…"

Matt shook his head sternly, "No, she took off early to go by the Medical Examiner's office but Miller just called me a second ago wanting to know where she was. I thought she might have gone to the station but they haven't seen her either."

"Shouldn't be to hard to find her…" Brooklyn looked over at Lexington who had followed Matt outside, "Check the tracker..." 

"Oh man," The young gargoyle cringed, "She quit wearing it like a week ago… She didn't think she needed to anymore…"

Broadway had just walked out with Angela and Bronx. He cocked his head, "Hey guys, what's going on?"

Brooklyn looked past Matt, "You two haven't seen Elisa have you?"

Angela spoke quickly, "No… not since earlier tonight. Why?" 

Hudson chuckled softly, "I'm sure she be fine, wherever the lass has gone, Goliath is with her…" 

Matt spun to face the Elder, "Wait a sec… You mean he's not here either?"

Brooklyn's eyes went to narrow slits, "No… should he be?"

Matt nodded, "Yeah… Elisa said she was going alone…"

***** ***** *****

The men stood speaking softly amongst themselves, waiting for the ceremony to begin. 

When he entered the room the voices grew quiet and all attention was directed to him as he walked to the front of the room.

The newest candidate moved to the center of the circle and took his place, "I am ready…"

The man walked over and rested a hand on the young man's shoulders, "And you are worthy… but there will be no ceremony…"

He turned to address the others "I have just been informed the Stage is ready and very soon our prayers will be answered…"

The man looked down at the young candidate, "You have another destiny to fulfill…"

***** ***** *****


	12. Friends and Enemies

****

Flashback Part 12: Friends and Enemies

By Shadow Runner

[**Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com**][1]

Standard disclaimer… Don't sue… not mine… Belong to Disney… No money being generated… I think that just about covers everything…

One or two are mine…feel free to ask if you want to borrow, I'm nice… I know how to share… I don't even run with scissors anymore…

I can only say and offer a million thanks for all the positive feedback everyone has been giving me about the Series. It makes the effort worth while and I hope you continue to enjoy!

Happy Reading! J

***** ***** *****

Matt stood in the middle of the Great Hall, he and Brooklyn were the last to return from the search of the city for Elisa and Goliath and the rest of the Clan was impatiently waiting to hear what they had found.

There had been no sign of them anywhere. 

They had gone to Central Park in hopes of finding the pair there but instead found their worse fears realized. It was no longer just a matter of them being missing but a matter of who had taken them.

Elisa and Goliath's footprints were clearly visible along with several unknown prints and what looked to be tire tracks leading out of the park. There were signs of a struggle but no significant amounts of blood were noticed so Matt too it as a good sign because it meant who ever took them wanted them alive.

The fact remained that whatever had happened, it had apparently taken them by surprise. Matt had found Elisa's weapon at the bottom of an embankment but no shots had been fired and Brooklyn had found the police radio she had been using earlier in the evening. 

Broadway took a step forward and picked up the charred canvas bag looked at it curiously, "What is it?"

Matt moved closer and retrieved the item from him and flipped it over in his hands, "It's a Flash Bang…"

Broadway pulled his brow together in concentration and rubbed his head absently, an unconscious gesture he'd picked up from Lexington some time ago, "A what?"

"A Flash Bang… it's a type of concussion grenade." Matt glanced over to the turquoise gargoyle and realized he had no idea what he was talking about so he decided to simplify the answer, "A purse that explodes…"

"I've used them before when I was still with the Bureau. They were pretty handy when the bad guys were in an area we couldn't get into easily. You toss 'em in and when they go off, the light and sounds are so intense it stuns a person and leaves them temporary disorientated. They're great for close quarters…" 

Matt paused and as an after thought added, "Or if you don't want to risk getting to close…"

Hudson rubbed his talons over his beard, "And ye think someone used this… thing… to attack them in the park tonight?"

Brooklyn exhaled deeply, "Yeah… and it gets worse…"

Broadway appraised his rookery brother carefully, "How could it get any worse? I mean Elisa and Goliath are missing again. I'd say that is about as worse as it gets…"

Matt tossed the bag back on the table, "Look, we found a lot of prints out there tonight so I'm figuring maybe five of six people… Thank God for the rain or we might have missed them… but we also found a second set of gargoyle prints…"

Angela sucked in her breath, "Oh no…" 

"They have to be Demona's…" Brooklyn dropped his eyes to the floor but he could feel the rage building inside him, "Do you think she got them?"

"I don't know, but it does lend some merit to the gargoyle sighting in the park earlier tonight…" Matt rubbed his eyes, "There's only one way to find out…"

"No…" Angela shifted slightly and leaned against Broadway, "We went to Nightstone Unlimited and there was no sign of them… or anyone else for that matter…"

"Any chance you could have just missed seeing Demona come in?" Matt felt his face grow hot as he leaned forward and braced himself against the table, "I mean it wouldn't be the first time she got into her own building without someone seeing her…"

Broadway shot Matt a warning looking, "Don't go there…"

Angela knew what Matt was trying to imply and she felt herself going on the defensive, "Elisa said earlier she didn't believe my Mother was involved…"

Matt cut her off before she could finish, "Well after what we found in the park, I have to disagree, and since Elisa isn't here right now…" 

"Knock it off, Matt!" Broadway roared.

Matt ducked his head slightly at the sound of Broadway's voice and took a step back. He knew yelling at Angela wasn't going to help and it might get his arms ripped out of their sockets in the process. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Sorry I yelled Angela, but whatever happened out there tonight, Demona was there so I'm going with the assumption she's involved in one way or the other which means there is no way I can call anyone else in… I'm alone on this one…"

Brooklyn put a reassuring talon on Matt's shoulder, "No way, we're in this together…You and Elisa are a part of this Clan… What ever affects you two effects us…"

Matt gave him a half smile, "Thanks…"

The others nodded in agreement as Brooklyn turned to face them, "Broadway, you and Lexington go back to Nightstone, and see what you can find… Hudson, you take Angela and Bronx and go…"

Angela's eyes flashed red and her wings spread out without warning nearly knocking Broadway over, "NO! If Demona is involved then I…"

Brooklyn felt as if his heart was breaking and it was more than just the fact that his friends were missing. He looked at Angela with what he hoped was compassion, "No it's all the more reason for you to stay here. Remember what Demona said on the roof that night… this might not even be about Elisa or Goliath…"

She gave him a defiant glare, "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Broadway turned to her and put a gentle arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, "He means this might be about getting to you…"

Awareness came over Angela's face and she realized they were all trying to protect her. She also understood Brooklyn was doing what was in the best interests of Clan.

And in her Father's absence, Brooklyn's word was law.

She recapped her wings and stood down but it was obvious she didn't agree with the rational. Brooklyn was about to continue with his assignments when he noticed Matt looking at the flash bang bag with a strange expression on his face, "What's up?" 

"I'm not sure…" Matt picked the bag up examined it closer. Flipping it over, he opened the top and pulled the spent charge out and suddenly grabbed Lexington and dragged him over to the other side of the room, "I need you to check something out…" 

"Where are you two going?" Brooklyn demanded.

Matt barely glanced over his shoulder as he moved to the computer, "To find out who did this…"

***** ***** *****

Elisa woke up on the floor. 

Her head was ringing and she felt sick to her stomach. Coming slowly back into consciousness, she considered sitting up so she could focus on her present condition. She groaned softly and decided against it since she could feel pain just from thinking about moving. 

Her memories were fuzzy until she lifted her hand to her head, then they came back in the form of actual pain. She could feel something sticky on the side of her head and realized it was blood from where she had been struck. It was matted in her hair but the flow seemed to have stopped. 

Elisa finally decided her position on the ground might be contributing to some of her discomfort and any additional pain might be worth the effort just to get off the floor. She started to rise and when she did, the effort resulted in waves of nausea so she quickly sat back down and leaned against the wall in hopes that her suffering would subside and that she didn't have a concussion. 

After a few minutes, she was feeling a bit better but the throbbing ache in her head persisted making her realize she probably did have one.

Goliath was lying on the floor nearby so she crawled over and shook him lightly but got no response. He was on his back and she could see he was breathing, and while she wasn't sure how long they had been there, the fact that he was flesh told her it was night. 

She attempted to reach out to him through their bond but found herself unable to make a clear connection to him and the few thoughts she picked up on were fuzzy and muddled. Granted Goliath was still unconscious and that might have been the problem, but Elisa had the feeling it was something else and she wondered if the blow to the head might not have shaken loose more than her teeth. 

Elisa refocused on her surroundings and saw she was in a room that could only be classified as a confinement cell similar to the ones at the 23rd Precinct. She'd put enough criminals behind bars and it chilled her to suddenly find herself in a comparable situation. 

"Never thought I'd be on this side of the fence…" she murmured softly.

She crawled over the bars and looked into the cell directly across from theirs but it was unoccupied and she was unable to see anything down the corridor that separated the cells. A tray sat just outside the bars with several paper cups and Elisa pulled it closer to give the contents of one of the cups a speculative sniff. The water had a slight odor to it and while it appeared to be safe enough, she wasn't sure if it was worth risking the possibility of it being drugged. 

She supposed it didn't matter, the ache in her head was effectively muting her thirst and the smell of the room was enough to make her want to gag but those were the least of her worries at the moment. She took one of the cups and moved back over to Goliath and knelt down beside him. He had yet to move or make a sound and she was afraid whatever had been used to render him unconscious might have been too much for him to take. 

She called out to him lightly, "Goliath…"

He didn't respond to her voice and she hoped it was because he didn't hear her so she tried again a bit louder and shook him, "Come on Big Guy… Talk to me…"

She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard him grumble softly, consciousness finally returning. His eyes fluttered for a moment and his voice was rough and uneven when he finally found the ability to speak, "Jalapena…"

Goliath shifted slightly and as he did, Elisa saw for the first time what was done to him. She could see a large burn mark near the area where his wings and back joined and the skin beneath was scorched, charred and oozing a light colored puss.

"Oh, Goliath… what did they do to you?" she whispered.

Goliath read the look on his love's face and forced himself to rise under his own power. It would do her no good to think he'd been rendered helpless, and truth be known the wound probably looked worse than it actually felt.

"It is nothing the Stone Sleep will not cure…" he replied softly.

"They must have hit you with a stun gun, maybe a taser pulse or something…" Elisa continued with her earlier observations and ran a tender hand over his injury and did her best to clean the dirt and grime from Goliath's wound with some of water from the cup. "Sorry Big Guy, this is the best I can do under the circumstances…"

Goliath smiled tenderly at her and allowed her to administer to his injuries. Once again she was putting his needs before her own since he could see the blood on the side of her head and neck. He could feel her concern for him rolling off her like waves despite her own pain and discomfort. 

"Are you alright?" he inquired softly.

Elisa winced as Goliath cautiously touched the gash on the side of her head, "Well, my head is still attached to my body… So yeah, I think I'm OK." 

Goliath gave her a soft smile and then turned to scan the room, "Where are we? How did we get here?"

Elisa shrugged, "I'm not sure… so your guess is as good as mine…"

Goliath pulled her to him and held her tightly while trying to comfort her but instead of the feelings of safety and reassurance, he felt tension and what he could only describe as panic rising within her. He pulled back slightly and favored her with a look of concern, "What's wrong?"

Elisa avoided making eye contact with him, "You mean besides the fact we're locked in a cage, my head was used as a hockey puck and someone tried to toast you like a marshmallow? What could be wrong?" 

He grumbled softly indicating he wanted an answer and not sarcasm. Elisa tightened her grip on him, "Big Guy… something's wrong… and I mean really wrong…" 

Goliath was about to speak when a loud clanging sound brought him to silence. Carefully he stood and lifted Elisa to her feet and they moved to the bars and to try and look down the corridor.

A door on the far side of the room swung open and several men walked in half dragging, half carrying what appeared to be a new prisoner. Elisa groaned softly as she recognized the unconscious form being hauled in and dumped unceremoniously on the floor between the cells.

One of the men had long pole with a cable attached to a shoulder harness and battery pack. He turned and gave Goliath a cold glare and nodded in Elisa's direction, "Get away from the bars or she is going to take one for the team…"

They both stepped back as one of the men turned to unlock the unoccupied cell door and allowed the man wearing the battery charger on his back to enter first. He took a defensive position by the exit as the other men dragged the prisoner into the cell. The men secured the door and left, leaving Elisa and Goliath to stare in quiet contemplation at their fellow captive. 

Elisa gave Goliath a tentative look, "How long before the others realize we're missing and start looking for us?"

"I'm sure they will have started already…" Goliath replied slowly.

Elisa nodded, "Good… because something tells me a bad situation just got a whole lot worse…"

***** ***** *****

Captain Maria Chavez sat at her desk going over the police reports filed for the last 48 hours. Without pulling her eyes from the reports, she picked up her mug and took a sip of coffee. Wincing slightly, she set it off to the side realizing the contents had long sense grown cold. 

She thought about calling out to one of the Police Aids and getting them to refill her mug but decided against it. They had enough to do without playing waitress for her. 

The last few days of working double shifts were taking a toll on everyone at the 23rd. But if she expected her detectives and officers to work around the clock on the Quarrymen Killings, gargoyle sightings, and other assorted crimes, there was no way she wasn't going to be there with them.

But despite her resolve, she was tired, exhausted, completely drained and the little trip to Central Park to stand in the rain hadn't helped things either. She gave the mug one last look and then finished off the last of the tepid liquid anyway.

She continued going over the latest report, making a few changes to account for punctuation and grammar, then set it off to the side and picked up another. She was half way through it when Officer Morgan poked his head into her office.

"Hey Cap… you got a call on line two…"

Captain Chavez continued reading the report, "Tell whoever it is I'm busy and I'll call them back later…" 

"It's Mayor Anderson… and he's pretty much demanding to talk to you…"

"It's the fourth time he's called since we left the park..." Captain Chavez groaned and rubbed her eyes before looking up, "Quiet frankly I'm tired of talking to the man. Tell him you found me impaled on a letter opener and take a message…"

Morgan gave her a sympathetic smile, "I tried that already… He didn't believe me…"

The Chief of Detectives shook her head slowly, "Morgan, you are going to have to work on your lying if you expect to get anywhere in this department…" 

He nodded slightly, "I know… my wife tells me the same thing all the time…" he glanced over at her empty mug just as he was about to leave, "I track down one of the temps and have them get you a refill on that coffee…"

"Thanks… and make it strong, I'm probably gonna need it…" 

She contemplated not taking the call but decided it was the lessor of two evils. If she blew him off, he might show up at the station and then it would be even harder to get rid of him. Reaching over, she picked up the phone receiver and hit the release button for line two.

"Yes Mayor… what can we do for you this time?"

***** ***** *****

Matt stood impatiently behind the green gargoyle as he tapped furiously away at the keys, "How much longer is this gonna take?" 

Lexington didn't bother to pull his gaze from the monitor, "Well if you would stop bugging me it would go a lot faster…"

The rest of the Clan stood behind them watching intently. After a minimal amount of hacking Lexington had been able to get into the Federal Bureau of Investigation database but he was having trouble finding the information Matt wanted.

While looking at the flash bang Matt noticed the serial number for the charge had been removed from the bag but not the charge itself. He remembered Owen Burnett had tracked the bullet slug from the roof back to the name 'Carter' and he wanted to know if the same person had obtained the grenade. 

The ammunition was one thing but the flash bangs were fairly common so Matt figured the government wouldn't be as selective about who they sold them to. 

But they would still want to know who had them and Matt knew the FBI was notorious about tracking people who purchased such things and he was hoping to get a break. He knew he could have called directly and asked any number of people he knew who still worked there but this wasn't something he wanted to broadcast to the rest of the world. 

At least not yet.

Lexington continued to search the database and a few minutes later the computer beeped indicating he'd found what Matt was looking for. The screen was immediately filled with the names of law enforcement agencies, militant groups, gangs, and other assorted personnel who had either purchased this type of device or had them in their position.

Brooklyn looked at the listing and only got half way down before his eyes started to cross, "Man… there's a about a billion people with those things…"

Matt nodded in agreement, "Good point. Lex, try limiting the scope of the search to people in the New York area…"

Lexington tapped a few keys and the list shortened but not by much. He glanced back to the others, "This is the best I can do…"

"Is the name Carter on the list?" Matt asked.

Lexington scrolled though the list, "No… and before you ask I don't see Demona's human name either."

Matt considered the implication before replying, "What about Jan Reading? She works for Dominique Destine…" 

"No… But I can tell you there are a lot of other familiar names here…" Lexington replied softly.

"Like who?" Brooklyn questioned.

"Xanatos is on here… and I recognize at least three aliases for former Pack members too." Lexington scrolled down through the list and pointed to another name, "I'm not sure but I think this one might be MacBeth…" 

Matt groaned, "Great… Lex, print off the list and log off. If you stay in there much longer someone is liable to figure out there's an unauthorized user in the system…"

Broadway ran a taloned hand over his head, "What do we do now? Go and ask everyone on the list if they've recently clobbered anyone in Central Park?"

They all stood in quite deliberation realizing the huge undertaking they were about to have when Matt hollered out, "That's it! That's all we have to do!"

Everyone looked at him as if he just lost his mind as he grabbed the print out and began scanning over the names. 

"Look, some of these names we can eliminate right off the bat, but the GTF has a list of the Quarrymen who have been picked up over the last few months for inciting riots, violent demonstrations, and general trouble making around the city. If we can match just one name this list against known Quarrymen, that will either eliminate Demona or confirm she's the one responsible for bushwhacking them…"

The others agreed but Lexington suddenly remembered he hadn't told them about his earlier discovery and reached over and lifted a sheet of paper from the desk, "Dragon! I completely forgot to tell you… Matt, I found a complete list of names for the Quarrymen on the web tonight…" 

Broadway let out a loud whoop, "Way to go Lex!"

Angela leaned over and kissed the younger gargoyle on the head, "Elisa was right… you are a genius…"

Matt scanned the listing, hoping a name would just jump out at him and make his job easier as Brooklyn tried to read the list over his shoulder. The white haired gargoyle finally glanced up and addressed the rest of the group, "We're gonna have to hurry…"

"Wait a sec," Lex quickly spun around in his chair, "Matt… I found that in the Quarrymen database and … when I was looking at it earlier… I realized it was a roster…"

"That would explain all the names…" Matt was listening with half an ear as he continued going down the list of names, "I can see that Lex…"

"Right… but it's dated today and according to the database…" Lexington was cut off from saying anything further by the ringing of Matt's cell phone. 

Matt pulled it from his coat pocket and flipped down the cover, "Yeah?"

The voice on the other end paused, "Bluestone?"

The surprise was more than evident in the tone of Matt's voice, "Captain Chavez?" 

"Where are you?"

"Over at the Eyr…" he paused long enough to collect his thoughts and realized he couldn't very well tell his boss his actual location without generating some pretty serious questions, "I'm on the East Side of town…"

"Detective Bluestone, I need to speak to Detective Maza. Put her on the line…Now."

Matt literally shot out of his skin at her request, "Ah, she's… Elisa's not here… I'm ah… I'm supposed to be meeting her later…" He winced as he realized that answer did him absolutely no good. By responding the way he did, it implied he would eventually be able to produce his partner. 

The others moved in closer upon hearing his end of the conversation. Matt handed the Quarrymen list to Angela and held a finger to his lips indicating for everyone to be quiet, which wasn't necessary considering the nature of his discussion and they were all well aware of who he was talking to.

"Where is she?" The tone of Captain Chavez's voice indicated she expected Matt to produce his partner no matter how far away she might be.

Matt was frantically searching for an answer but the Captain didn't even give him a chance to come up with one. "Never mind where she is, just get a hold of her, I need to see the two of you ASAP."

"What's wrong?" Matt felt a flash of panic and turned away from the others and dropped his voice to a near whisper, "We don't have another body do we?"

"No… " 

Matt immediately picked up that something else was wrong and he didn't much care for the tone of his boss's voice, "Well then that might be a break… right?" 

Captain Chavez hesitated for a moment, "True… It might be the break you need… "

"What do you mean _I need_?" he replied slowly.

"I explain when you two get here…" 

She hung up without another word and Matt shut down the cell phone and placed it back in the pocket of his trench coat. He turned to the others with a grave expression on his face, "I guess you heard part of that…"

Brooklyn shook his head slowly, "What's going on?"

Matt took a deep breath, "I think Elisa just got pulled off the Quarrymen Killings…"

The group let out a collective gasp but it was Hudson who was the first to respond, "Because the lass be missing?"

"No, I don't think that's it…" Matt scratched his head absently, "As a matter of fact, Captain Chavez assumed she was with me or at the very least that I would know where she was, so the way I see it, the only people who know Elisa's missing…are right here in this room…"

"What do we do now?" Angela replied softly.

Matt began collecting his things, "You all start going over the names on the list… If you match one up, call me and we'll take it from there…" 

Brooklyn glanced to the doorway leading out to the courtyard, "It'll be dawn soon… We won't have much time to start searching if we do match a name…"

"I know… I figure I can put Captain Chavez off for 48 hours at the most. After that, she's gonna question where Elisa is and then it will be an even bigger problem…" 

"Why?" Broadway questioned, "Elisa come up missing before…"

Brooklyn responded before Matt even had the opportunity, "Not in the middle of a case and like Hudson said earlier… where ever Elisa is, Goliath is with her… Besides, if Demona is involved…"

Matt turned to go but Lexington reached over to delay his departure, "Wait a sec… There's something you still need to know…"

***** ***** *****

Matt drove through the streets of Manhattan like a man possessed. Lexington's discovery was enough to shake him to the very heart of his being and he knew he had to act quickly since he wasn't sure what the implications might bring. 

After taking the time to think about his conversation with Captain Chavez, Matt realized for the first time in four nights, there had been no body found and he suspected it had something to do with the fact that Elisa and Goliath were missing. 

The killings might not have been just an effort to draw Canmore out, but to draw Elisa in.

He was about to pull into the parking area of the 23rd Precinct when he remembered Jack Miller had called with some information about the victims. Jerking the car around he cut across the median and continued towards the downtown district. 

Five minutes later he pulled up in front of the Medical Examiners office and jumped out of the vehicle. He pulled open the door and quickly flashed his police badge at the receptionist, "Detective Bluestone, 23rd… is the Chief Medical Examiner still here?"

The woman checked a sign out board behind her, "Looks like it… I'll buzz him…"

Matt waved her off, "Just let me in… he's probably expecting me…"

The woman shrugged and hit the release for the door and allowed him to enter the back area. Matt ran down the corridor checking the names on the doors as he went. He nearly slipped in the waxed floor when he realized he'd almost run past his destination. Scrambling back, he jerked the door open and saw the Medical Examiner sitting behind his desk going over some reports. 

Jack Miller looked up in surprise, "Hey… What are you doing here?"

Matt walked in and leaned over the desk, "We need those autopsy reports on the Doe's…"

"Sure…" Miller pulled open a drawer and produced four files, "I was expecting Elisa to come by since she…"

"She's busy and asked me to pick them up for her…" Matt opened the top one and flipped through it, "Have you made an identification on any of the bodies yet?"

"No… But after I talked to you I got message from…"

Matt cut him off, "You said earlier the necklaces were placed on the bodies after they were already dead…"

"Yeah… The fourth Doe was the break." Jack waited to see if Matt was going to cut him off again and when he didn't, he stood and retrieved one of the files from the detective's grasp and pulled a sheet of paper out.

"I did a tissue analysis and found no sign of bruising on the thorax that would indicate the chain was worn when he was strangled. I thought it was kinda odd and since no one has claimed the bodies, I went back and checked the other three and found the same thing."

Matt nodded absently and turned to leave, "Thanks… we owe you on this…"

"No problem, I just feel bad that I didn't find it earlier…" Jack sat back down in his chair, "By the way, when you see Elisa, let her know I got her request to forward copies of the fingerprint cards to that guy at the FBI…"

Matt spun around, "What?! When the hell did she ask you to do that?"

"Tonight… about an hour or two after I talked to you…" 

Matt knew damn well Elisa couldn't have called in any such request and he was alarmed to know someone out there was claiming to be her. 

"What did she say?" he inquired.

"I didn't talk to her directly. I was on another line so the secretary took the message…" Jack handed Matt a torn sheet of paper, "I faxed them over about thirty minutes ago…"

Matt grabbed the note and scanned over it, "There's a phone number but no name on this…"

"Ya know, I thought it was strange for her to ask me to send them and then not give me the name of the person she wanted them sent to… I had to call the FBI and ask for Elisa's point of contact…"

"And that just didn't seem a little odd to you?" Matt was furious, "Jesus Christ, what kind of bullshit operation are you running here Jack? I mean can just anyone call up and say 'Hey send official documents to the FBI' without you people verifying the request first?"

The M.E. seemed unconcerned over the accusation, "No, we get half ass requests from police agencies like this all the time… Granted I don't usually get them from Elisa, but I figured she was in a rush and it made sense to send the prints to the FBI since we can't ID the bodies here."

Matt slammed the files down on the desk, "Jack, I don't mean to be rude but you have about two seconds to tell me who you sent those prints to or I'm gonna shoot you…"

"Hold on a sec, I have a name here someplace…" The M.E. rummaged through the paperwork on his desk and found the fax cover sheet and glanced down at it, "Here it is… ah, Hacker… Special Agent Martian Hacker…"

Matt pounded his fist on the desk, "Damn it! If 'Elisa' contacts you again, don't give or tell her a goddamn thing unless you see her face to face!" He picked up the files turned to the door, "And if _Agent _Hacker calls wanting information, don't give him shit either…"

***** ***** *****

Elisa shook her head slowly as she moved to the rear of the cell and leaned against the wall. The confrontation between Goliath and his former mate had begun as soon as Demona regained consciousness and despite Elisa's best efforts to stop them, it was now a battle of volume rather than facts between the former mates.

"You're compassion for such a weak species is disgusting…" 

Goliath returned Demona's steely gaze, "What have you dragged us into this time?"

She spat at him, "Pah! Surely you must realize this is not my doing…"

Goliath strained against the bars in a futile effort to reach a woman who was clearly beyond his reach both physically and emotionally, "No Demona… It has always been you. If it were not for your actions we would not even be in this position!"

"If it were not for my actions you would still be gathering moss atop Castle Wyvern!" Her eyes burned fiery red as she spoke to him, "They have thrown you in a cage and still you refuse to see that humanity is our enemy!" 

Elisa continued to watch and listen. She had noticed the large burn on Demona's shoulder similar to the one on Goliath's back but it didn't seem to be causing her nearly as much pain as being locked in the cage was. 

The upside of the whole situation was that whoever their captors were, they had the foresight to separate Demona from them and for that Elisa was grateful. She was quite certain that if they were all to be placed in the same cell things might get ugly.

She knew neither of them was willing to listen to her and she had serious doubts if they were even listening to each other at this point. It was clearly evident the position of peacemaker was not going to work so she slipped in the one role she knew would; that of a cop. 

She let loose with a shrill whistle which forced both of them to fall silent. When she determine she finally had their undivided attention her voice held the sharpest of edges, "Now do either of you have anything constructive to offer that might shed some light on what the hell happened to us tonight?"

Demona wasn't so willing to let it end until she had the last word, "Really Goliath you are so pathetic…"

"I said 'THAT'S ENOUGH'!" Elisa felt the roar of blood rushing to her ears and she could feel the pressure building in her head again. "Yelling at each other is not going to help us get out of here…" 

Both gargoyles took that as their queue to begin yelling again, each accusing the other of being the cause of the evening's events. Demona finally succeeded on getting the last word and while the comment was made to Goliath it was clearly directed at Elisa.

"It is the humans who should be wiped away and destroyed..." 

Elisa shook her head slightly, she knew there was no way she was going to win a debate with someone bent on the destruction of the human race but talking to Demona might shed some light on their predicament. "No one is going to be wiped off the planet tonight… not if I can help it…"

Demona ignored the statement, "Don't you see Goliath, the Humans have no loyalty… Not even to their own kind…"

Elisa considered arguing that particular point but decided it was too easy and walked back to Goliath and draped her arms through the bars of cell, "If you haven't noticed Demona, I seem to be in the same situation as you…"

"Which only goes to prove my point!" Demona snapped as she pulled vainly at her own bars. "And make no mistakes Human, you and I are not in the same 'situation' at all…"

Elisa took a tentative step back. She was feeling sick to her stomach again and not wanting to give Demona the satisfaction of watching her dry heave or pass out, she forced herself to continue to stand without holding on to the bars. "Don't be so sure about that…"

"Spare me your false bravado, Human…" Her tone clearly indicated she could care less what Elisa thought she knew, "You flatter yourself… You have concept as to the evil your species is capable of…"

Goliath, feeling his mate was being threatened in some way, placed himself between Elisa and the bars and faced Demona, "Elisa is right, this has gone on long enough…"

"Ah, I see my guests have arrived…" 

The new voice was a shock to all of them and Goliath realized the earlier arguing had effectively masked the sounds of the door opening at the end of the hall. He watched as the man walked down the corridor and stopped between the two cells. 

Elisa was stunned but not surprised, as the man was now recognizable. "I should have known… What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" The man smiled at her through the bars, but there was no humor in the action, "But I must admit, I'm surprised to hear such hateful words being expressed between all of you…"

Goliath's eye's flashed white as he took a step closer to the bars, "Hunter…"

The smile disappeared from Jon Canmore's face as he moved to stand directly in front of Goliath, "The name is Castaway, and I'd thank you not to refer to me in any other way. In fact I'd prefer it if you did not refer to me at all…"

Elisa immediately went on the offensive and tried to shove Goliath out of the way but had little success in accomplishing the task. When it became obvious he wasn't going to move she stepped around him and leaned into the bars, "This is hands down the stupidest thing you have even done…"

Jon lean against the bars casually, "No… not killing the Beasts when I had the chance takes that honor…"

He was about to continue when Goliath tried to make a grab for him. Jon quickly stepped back to avoid him, completely oblivious to what was behind him, which turned out to be a nearly lethal mistake. 

Elisa cringed as the shrieks of rage mixed with the cries of pain echoed throughout the makeshift prison. She felt dizzy and lightheaded and the suddenness of the feelings forced her to take an involuntary step backwards. When she did, she stumbled, landing hard on the ground of the cell, "Whoa…"

Jon spun around and glared at the cell behind him, stepping away quickly but making sure he didn't fall back into Goliath's reach either. The back of his shirt had been ripped open and there was now a steady flow of blood running from three large gashes across his left shoulder. 

Demona wiped the blood on her talons off on her loincloth and smiled an evil grin, "Come Hunter… Step bit closer and I shall finish what you started long ago…" 

Jon gave her a scowling glare and stepped a bit closer, but was careful to remain just out of her reach as a second man walked down the corridor with a taser. "Oh make no mistake Beast… you will pay for this..."

Goliath took no notice of what was going as his concern was focused solely on Elisa. He quickly moved to her side and knelt by her side, "Are you alright?" 

"Yeah…Help me up…" Elisa started to stand and when she did, her eyes locked on the newcomer. He seemed vaguely familiar and then it clicked where she had seen him before. "I know you…"

It all seemed to happen in slow motion and Elisa never got the chance to finish the statement as Demona suddenly lunged at the young man and tried to lash at him through the bars of her cell, "You! I should have known!"

Demona made a movement towards the man just as he jabbed her with the taser. The result was an electrified pulse coursing through her body causing her to shriek in pain as she dropped to the floor of the cell unmoving.

Elisa felt a surge of rage course through her and without thinking started to react upon it. She rose to her feet and began moving towards the bars of the cell. Goliath noted her reactions and seeing what she was about to do called out to her, "Elisa! No!"

Elisa snapped around for an instant her eyes blazed red and the rage refocused on him, but as quickly as it came, the feeling was gone. She stumbled slightly and collapsed beside him and mumbled softly, "We gotta get out of here Big Guy… Fast…"

Jon moved back to the bars of Demona's cell and laughed softly as he looked down at her, "Oh how the mighty have fallen…"

The immortal gargoyle twitched causing Jon Canmore to step back, but she remained on the ground unable to rise and meet his challenge. Jon then glanced back to the young man, "It would seem the Beast doesn't care very much for you either…"

Allen Jenkins looked at the unconscious woman on the ground, "No Sir… I don't guess she would all things considered…"

Jon shrugged off the comment and appraised Elisa and Goliath who were both still sitting on the floor, "So are you ready to cooperate Detective Maza or shall I have Mr. Jenkins here inspire your assistance by frying your companion in front of you?"

Using Goliath as a brace to pull herself up, Elisa looked at the young man whom she now recognized as the temp from the 23rd she'd run into earlier in the day. She then focused back on the Hunter, "Cut to the chase, Canmore. What the hell kind of game are you playing?"

Jon Canmore stepped lightly through the blood that had been spilled on the floor earlier by Demona's attack, "It's simple. I know you 'protect' them… although I had no idea you would approve of them to going to this extreme…" 

He gave Goliath a scathing look before returning his attention to Elisa, "I should have killed them that night on the roof…"

Elisa felt like she had been punched and before she could react, Goliath flew to the bars of the cell pulling at them futilely, "Because of you Elisa almost died that night!"

Jon ignored the comment and nodded to Jenkins, who held the taser at the ready position. He then looked over at Elisa and when he spoke his voice held the faintest hints of his accent, "It would have been so much better if ye had allowed them to be killed at the Cathedral." 

Jenkins made a half jab at Goliath with the taser to force him back just as Jon Canmore shot his hand out and grabbed Elisa by the wrist and pulled her to the bars of the cage. She was fighting to get away from the former Hunter, but his grip was too tight and the cell prevented escape even she'd been able to break free of his grasp. 

Goliath flexed his wings and roared out, "Release her!" 

Out of the corner of her eye, Elisa saw Jenkins take a step forward with the taser and she knew what was about to happen and immediately stopped struggling, "Goliath! No!" 

Goliath understood the reason for her warning but not the context it was given in and took a step back. His voice was laced with anger and despair, "If you harm her…"

Jon gave the lavender gargoyle a hateful grin and increased his grip on Elisa's wrist, "Good. I see we have an understanding…"

Elisa somehow managed to speak through the pain, "Look I have been pounded on enough for one lifetime… Trust me, I am totally not in the mood for an interrogation right now…"

"Tis' is not an interrogation…"

"Good then you can do the talking…" she hissed.

"No… I'd prefer to hear what you have to say…"

Elisa snorted, "Well then I guess this is gonna be a pretty short conversation seeing how I really don't have a whole lot to say to you…"

"Oh but ye do…" Jon laughed again and Elisa felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as he did, "It 'twas never my intention to have ye here at all… but recent events have forced me to change my plans."

"Yeah… I guess they would…" Elisa was fighting to control her temper and having little luck, but she knew she was going to do so if she expected to have any chance of protecting Goliath. She shot a quick glance over to Demona's cell and saw that the woman was back on her feet and watching the drama unfold intently. 

"Are you ready to tell me what I want to know?" Jon demanded.

"About what?" Elisa questioned darkly.

Jon gave her a cold expression, "Don't be coy Detective Maza… tell me which one of the Beasts has been killing my men…"

***** ***** *****

Matt drove through the city processing the information he'd received already. He knew he should go back to the Castle and tell the others what he'd discovered but there wasn't enough time and he still had several stops to make before he went to check in with Captain Chavez. 

Matt knew Demona wasn't responsible for the Quarrymen killings or the disappearance of his friends, but at the same time, he knew their disappearance was linked to the killings. 

But not by Demona, and strangely enough not by Jon Canmore either because what Lexington had told him was true; all the Quarrymen were accounted for. 

This meant the men who were killed weren't members of Jon's group, but they were being set up to look like they were and in light of his conversation with Jack Miller, Matt now had a good idea of who might be responsible for all this. 

None of this was about finding The Hunter and it wasn't about drawing Elisa out either.

It was about Goliath.

The only clear question in Matt's mind was could he do anything about it without killing everyone in the process.

He double parked in front of his building and moved to the elevator. He'd told Brooklyn and the others he could stall for maybe 48 hours. Matt now though the number might be closer to 36 but more than likely they had less then 24 hours.

Once he reached his floor he exited and ran down the hall and unlocked his door and entered his apartment searching for the one thing that might save everyone's life.

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	13. The Coming of Three

****

Flashback Part 13: The Coming of Three

By Shadow Runner

[**Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com**][1]

Part 13 in the series

Disney owns the characters so with any luck they won't mind me borrowing… at least I hope they don't mind in light of the fact that I'm making no money off this. 

The story is mine and a few characters are mine but that's about it.

Feedback is always welcome… and I'm not too ashamed to beg for it either…

Hope you like it and Happy Reading! J

***** ***** *****

Officer Morgan glanced through the night shift reports in preparation for the dayshift change over which would be taking place in just over an hour. It was customary to double-check the Police Blotter against the Events logs before the next shift took over just to make sure everything matched and nothing of potential 'embarrassment' was listed. The Events Log tracked everything that took place on shift whereas the Police Blotters tracked only the criminal activities and would eventually be made available to the public. 

Two pages into the logs, he realized the Blotter hadn't been updated. It appeared the temp who was working on this project stopped shortly after the night shift started and never got back to the detail. 

"So hard to find good help now-a-days…" Morgan muttered softly. He looked around but didn't see the young man anywhere and decided it would be faster for him do it than try and find the actual person responsible.

He turned to the Events Log and began flipping through the pages when one of the items listed caught his eye. Morgan reread the entry and reached over to the phone and dialed a number and waited for someone to answer. 

After three rings a voice responded, "City Impound…"

"Hey Pete, its Morgan over at the 23rd… Do me a favor and check something out…"

***** ***** *****

Goliath was stunned as he heard the words the Hunter spoke, "You think we're the ones killing your men?"

Jon released his grip on Elisa and walked over and slapped at Goliath through the bars of the cell. He remained close, as if daring the gargoyle to make a move at him, "You, Beast, have no voice in this conversation!" 

Goliath knew how easy it would be for him to reach out and assault the man just as Demona had done but instead of attacking, he stepped away from the bars refusing to validate the man's suspicions. He understood to do so would only add more fuel to a fire that was rapidly burning out of control and it might cause the man to lash out at Elisa in retaliation. 

"My Clan is not responsible for those men…" he voiced softly.

"I'm sure you would love me to believe that..." Jon gave the gargoyle leader one last glare before turning back to Elisa, "Please tell me that you want to be a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem…"

Elisa crossed her arms over her chest, "I think I'm looking at the biggest problem in here right now…"

Jon smiled, "Always the charmer… I can see why my misguided brother found you so attractive. It's a shame you didn't take him up on the offer when he made it… If you had, things might not have come to this…"

Goliath allowed a soft rumble to escape from his throat and his eyes again flashed white at the taunting words the Hunter spoke. Elisa knew Jon Canmore would jump to all the wrong reasons as to why Goliath would react to his words in such a way and she took her mate's reaction to mean he still wasn't quite past the knowledge that Jason Canmore had been more than interested in her. 

She took a step closer to the bars in order to prevent Goliath from saying something that would give the Hunter any further advantage over them, "Not even on my worst day…"

The Hunter glared back at her but winced as a spasm of pain shot through his body from his injured shoulder. Allen Jenkins reached over and placed a hand on Jon's arm but kept his eyes and the taser pointed in Goliath's direction, "You should get that looked at Sir… it might get infected…"

Jon shook off the young man, but decided he might be right and turned to leave, his voice held the slightest traces of his accent as he paused to address Elisa, "Ye should learn to hold yer tongue woman…"

"No one tells me what to do… least of all you…" she muttered.

Elisa had dropped her voice but it was clear the Hunter heard the words she spoke. He gave her a loathing stare as he walked out of the room, "If you're not careful Detective… you might develop a terminal case of the 'No one can tell me what to dos'…" 

The thinly veiled threat was enough to cause Goliath to loose the last shreds of his temper and he spoke through clinched teeth, "If you harm Elisa… you'll have to kill me…"

Elisa waited until the Hunter and the man he called Jenkins left the room, "I think that's the whole point…"

Goliath recapped his wings and draped a protective arm around Elisa's shoulder, "The Hunter thinks the Clan is killing his people…"

Elisa nodded agreement as she learned against him, "Yeah… he does." 

The lavender gargoyle shifted away from his beloved and allowed his gaze to fall over to the cell across from theirs, "What were you doing in the park tonight Demona?" he inquired gravely.

Demona apparently took great offence to Goliath's question and pulled on the bars of her cell, "None of us would even be in this position were it not for her!"

"Big Guy…" Elisa rubbed absently at her wrist which was aching slightly from where Jon had grabbed her, "Now is really not the time to get into this…"

Goliath ignored Demona's rebuttal but continued to glare at her as he spoke to Elisa, "Someone saw her in the park…"

"Maybe…" Elisa voiced cautiously as she pulled her brow together in concentration and turned to the door of the cell. She crouched down to examine the latch of the cell noting there was a steel plate over the device preventing her from tampering with the lock. She glanced back to Goliath briefly, "You think you can get this off?"

Goliath reached through the bars and after a certain amount of prying he was able to slide the face place off. He was about to step back and allow Elisa to examine the lock when his instincts kicked in. He knew their time together would be short lived and a look of concerned crossed over his face, "Dawn is approaching… I fear for your safety as I will not be able to protect you My Love…"

Demona heard the words he spoke shrieked out in rage, "No!" 

Elisa started to respond when a blast of pain wracked its way through her body. She reached over to brace herself against Goliath and when she did, he jolted as if she had touched him with a hot poker. 

Goliath's eyes flashed white and he jerked away from her abruptly as a mishmash of emotions poured over him and he wondered if perhaps the encounter with the Hunter had effected Elisa more deeply than he realized, "Elisa?"

"You felt that…?" Elisa gasped out in surprise. She felt the pains subside but Demona continued to throw herself against the bars of the cell, her shrieks echoed in the room and the sounds seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. 

Goliath ignored Demona's outburst and crouched beside Elisa, "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I am fine…at least I think I'm fine..." She shook her head as if trying to clear her thoughts and then shifted around to address Demona, "You're the reason I can't pick up on Goliath right now aren't you?"

Demona was fighting to control herself and Elisa's question only seemed to strengthen her rage, "If you value your life do not continue to speak to me Human…"

Upon hearing the threat, Goliath reached over to pull his beloved back despite the fact he knew she was physically beyond Demona's reach. Elisa for her part allowed him to be overprotective and stepped away from the bars. 

She paused for a moment before looking back at him, "I think I know what's wrong with the Bond… why I hurt and you don't…"

Goliath gave her a curious expression, "Elisa… what are you talking about? What's wrong?"

Elisa looked over at Demona with a pensive expression on her face, "The pain I keep feeling… it is a result of the Bonding." She took a deep breath pulled Goliath back the rear of the cell, "I think Lexington was right before when he said it had to be something connected to both of us…" 

Goliath nodded but it was clear he had no idea what she was talking about so Elisa continued, "Demona is the connection…"

"What?!" Goliath cried out. "How can this be?"

"I don't think the connection is to you though… I think Demona was in the park because she knew I was there…" 

Elisa paused and as much as she wanted to press Demona for details, the woman wasn't going to be pushed, least of all by her which meant she was only going to get to as information much as Demona wanted to give. "In fact, I think she was probably around the night the first body was discovered…"

Goliath abruptly returned to the bars to glare at his former mate, "Then you are responsible for all this… you are the one who's been killing the Quarrymen…" 

"No, Demona didn't do this…" Elisa whispered as she walked back to stand next to Goliath. She locked eyes with Demona, "It must be hard on you…" she voiced softly.

Demona made no effort to respond so Elisa picked her next words cautiously because she knew things were not going to get any easier once she opened the potential Pandora's Box, but it was necessary if any of them expected to get out of there alive. "Goliath may not have bonded with you, but you did with him… and that's why he can't pick you up… because he doesn't know…"

Goliath's response was all but lost as Demona shrieked out in an effort to drown out the words Elisa spoke and while nothing coherent was voiced, it was obvious she was beyond seething. Elisa waited until the noise subsided and once again prayed the bars would continue to keep the woman secured because there was little doubt in her mind if Demona got loose, she would kill her.

Elisa turned and placed a hand on Goliath's broad shoulders, "I think I'm picking up some the feelings she's been directing at you… which might explain some of the pain…"

Goliath was shocked by the words and unwillingly found his eyes being pulled in the direction of Demona, "Is this true?"

"No it is a lie." She said the words without much conviction but with enough hatred for him to know Elisa was right. 

Goliath moved to the rear of the cell and braced himself against the wall. It never occurred to him that Demona might have bonded to him and never in his entire time with her had he even thought to ask if she had experienced the Bonding. He had assumed they were both going through the motions but he now knew how wrong his earlier perceptions had been. 

Demona might have loved him as she said but it was he who was unable to return the emotion fully.

He glanced back at Elisa expecting to see hurt and betrayal but only saw compassion and understanding, "When did you… how did this happen?"

"I'm not sure how but I think a lot of it has to do with emotions…" she replied slowly.

"Emotions?" Goliath walked back to her, "What kind of emotions?"

Elisa looked to the wall behind his head, the floor, past him, anyplace but directly at him, "Strong emotions…"

He cocked his head slightly, "How strong of an emotion?"

"Strong enough…" Elisa felt herself blushing. Now didn't seem to be the most appropriate time or place to get into this aspect of their relationship but the fact remained, it might be how the whole thing got started. She finally gave him an exasperated, but slightly embarrassed expression, "Think about it Big Guy… You were able to pick up me long before I was able to pick up on you… In fact I couldn't pick you up at all until I admitted how I felt about…"

Goliath suddenly understood what his mate was telling him, "Our love… the night we Bonded…"

Demona bristled at the declaration of love Goliath spoke of and the words literally cut though her like a knife. Not only did he love the human woman, she felt the same and apparently Goliath had been the one to initiate the connection. Demona had lived a thousand lifetimes and seen many things in her magic induced immorality but until that moment it never occurred to her that she never truly had Goliath's heart. 

Elisa saw Demona reaction to Goliath's words so before he could say anything further she cut him off, "That and the fact someone went dinking around with my DNA… Anyway, I think what I'm picking up is Demona's rage and while it might be directed at you, you have no connection to her so somehow it's redirected to me." Elisa paused and glanced back to Demona, "The only time I can feel it is when I'm in close proximity to her… and think we have to be pretty close…"

She watched as Demona moved to the rear of her cell in a vain attempt to put as much distance between them as possible. Elisa was about to speak when the woman gargoyle suddenly cried out in pain. Not because of anything that had been said, rather because just as Demona turned to look at her, the transformation took place forcing her to double over in pain. 

Elisa watched as the sleek form of Dominique Destine replaced Demona. She noted the burn marks she'd seen on the woman earlier were no longer visible and guessed the transformation must act like the Stone Sleep for the Gargoyles. Any injuries received by one were not passed along to the other once the metamorphosis took place. 

"Are you alright?" Elisa questioned softly.

"Spare me your concern Human, as I have no need for it…" Dominique retorted, "The Puck did this to me out of spite…"

"Well it's nice to see your sparkling personality stays with you no matter what form you're in…" Elisa traced a finger over Goliath's stone form and gave Dominique a guarded expression, "You know who the killer is don't you…"

Dominique's eyes turned dark and hateful, "What I know or saw is of little importance since none of us will live to tell…"

Elisa realized they were bordering on another argument and since she really didn't have time to debate that particular issue she bent over to re-examine the lock. "Look, I have no intention on waiting for Mr. Personality to come back in here with a big ass hammer to bash Goliath in his sleep…"

"I'm curious as to how you plan on avoiding that." Dominique replied sarcastically, "I don't suppose you have a key hidden away in that stupid jacket of yours now do you?" 

"No," Elisa glanced over at her and smiled, "But I'm thinking you might…"

***** ***** *****

Captain Maria Chavez gave Matt an irritated expression, "What do you mean Detective Maza isn't coming?"

Matt shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "Yeah… see what happened was…"

Mayor Jeffery Anderson shifted around in the chair that should haven been occupied by Bluestone's partner and cut him off before he could complete the statement, "Detective, I distinctly recall Captain Chavez saying she needed to see you AND Detective Maza…"

Maria Chavez leaned forward in her chair and allowed her eyes to fall to the Mayor, "I think I can handle this if you don't mind…"

"And you're doing a wonderful job thus far…" Mayor Anderson tone indicated he didn't think that at all and it was obvious he was practically drooling in anticipation of the boot finally being dropped on the one detective he never wanted assigned to the investigation in the first place.

Captain Chavez stood with the pretense of tearing the Mayor's head off but quickly rethought the concept since it would serve no purpose. Instead she focused on the situation and since the actual source of her hostility was indeed not present she decided her partner would have to suffice, "Get her here. NOW!"

Matt cringed, "I can't do that…"

Not wanting to give the Mayor the opportunity to jump back into the conversation Captain Chavez continued to lay into Matt. "Detective Bluestone… you and Detective Maza are testing my patience and in case you haven't noticed, I happen to be standing on the very fine line you two seem to be bent on crossing..."

Matt rubbed his hand over his face, noting he'd neglected to shave when he left his apartment earlier that morning, "Captain, I know how this must look…"

"No I don't think you do…" She countered. "Detective Maza is in danger of not only being pulled off this investigation but of being suspended as well, so unless she walks through that door in the next five seconds that is exactly what's going to happen…"

"Captain," Mayor Anderson stood up and gave her a wary smile, "I think this has gone on long enough. We all know Detective Maza is not going to be walking through that door anytime soon and taking into account Detective Bluestone has no idea where his partner is, I feel it's safe to say she should be pulled off the investigation…"

Matt took a deep breath and just as he was about to respond his brain registered what the Mayor said. He shifted around in his chair and appraised the man with a guarded expression, "What makes you think I don't know where Elisa is?"

The Mayor gave Matt a strange look, "You said it yourself earlier…"

Matt rose out of his chair and took two steps forward forcing the Mayor to step back, "No I didn't…"

All the color drained from Anderson's face and for an instant it contorted in discomfort, "I don't think I like your tone…"

"No, I don't guess you would…" Matt replied through clinched teeth, "Especially since you've been trying to her Elisa off this from the beginning…"

"Detective Maza never should have been assigned to this investigation in the first place!" Mayor Anderson waved his hand in an arbitrary manner, "Her blatant disregard for authority proves she is not capable of…"

"That it! You and me; outside!" Matt felt his temper flare and he had every intention of punching the Mayor in the mouth when Captain Chavez interjected effectively saving the Mayor's life.

"Stand down Detective…" Captain Chavez understood there was more going on and she wanted answers but didn't think she would get them from Matt with the Mayor around. She walked around her desk and moved to open the door to her office, "I think it would be best if I discussed this matter alone with Detective Bluestone…"

"Fine…" The Mayor nodded slightly and turned to leave the room as if the choice was his all along, "If you will excuse me. I have other matters to attend to…"

Captain Chavez closed the door behind him and then turned to appraise her detective, "What the hell is going on Bluestone?"

"Sorry about the outburst…" Matt dropped his hands into the pockets of his trench coat and his fingers brushed the cool metal of the objects he retrieved from his apartment before coming to the station. "I have a few things I need to check out…"

"Where's Maza?" she demanded.

"Like I told you on the phone earlier, she's checking something out…" 

Captain Chavez crossed her arms over her chest, "That's not an acceptable answer and neither is keeping me in the dark… If the two of you know something about the killer or killers then I need to know about it now."

"Just give us some time…" he replied softly.

"You're out of time…" Captain Chavez walked over slowly, "Look, if Elisa is in some kind of trouble…"

"She's not…" Matt muttered softly. The lie slipped out easier than he anticipated and he ran his fingers over his face again in order to hide it from his boss. He knew he was about to embark on a dangerous path and right or wrong, the answers he was about to go looking for might cost Goliath, Elisa, the Clan, not to mention himself, their lives. 

He turned to leave but paused at the door and started to tell Captain Chavez of his suspicions but at the last second changed his mind. He was no longer sure whom he could trust since the only person he did trust was missing. 

Captain Chavez watched as Matt made his way through the 23rd Precinct. He stopped at his partners desk and opened several drawers, rummaging through them but apparently didn't find what he was looking for and slammed them shut and turned to leave the station. 

She was about to return to her desk when Morgan poked his head in with a concerned look on his face, "Is Detective Bluestone still here?"

"You just missed him…" Chavez picked up her coffee mug and started to move past the officer, "Do me a favor, when Detective Maza shows up, tell her to come see me before she signs out…"

Morgan's facial features visibly changed and not for the better, "Ah… do you have a second Boss…?"

She shook her head slowly, "No…"

Morgan ignored the comment and pulled her back into the office and handed her the Events log, "I think you might want to take a look at entry number twelve…"

She glanced over the report with half an eye until she came to the entry Morgan was speaking of, "When did this happen?"

"It was picked up around four thirty this morning… I already checked… it's there…"

Captain Chavez lifted her coat from the back of her chair and moved to leave the office, "Call Peterson back and tell him I'm on my down…"

***** ***** *****

Matt hadn't found what he was looking for in Elisa's desk so he was hoping to find it at her apartment. He walked down the hallway quickly but slowed and drew his weapon as he approached the entrance to her apartment. 

"What the hell…?" he voiced softly.

The door was open just a crack and while it didn't appear to be a forced entry he could see the tool marks from where the lock had been picked and he could hear Cagney meowing softly inside. 

Matt cautiously opened the door further and slipped inside and did a quick sweep of the area noting no one was in the living room or kitchen area. Apparently, whoever had broken in wasn't looking for valuables since the TV, VCR, and stereo were still present and everything else in the room appeared to be intact. 

But at the same time, he serious doubts this was the work of common criminals since Elisa lived in a top floor apartment and the average housebreaker found lugging stolen property down a flight of stairs too laborious. Beside, thieves were never this considerate about ripping off a place and the apartment looked cleaner than it had the last time he was there. 

He was about to pick up Cagney when he heard a muffled thump from the back bedroom. He quietly moved to the other side of the room and cautiously poked his head around the door jam then jerked back. He saw a single man moving around the room opening and closing drawers and closets. 

Matt took a defensive position near the bedroom door and when the prowler walked out he placed the muzzle of his pistol to the back of the man's head, "Hi there…"

The intruder stopped and raised his hands slowly, "I'm not armed…"

Matt immediately recognized the voice, "Well then you're an idiot on top of everything else… Now turn around slowly, keep your hands where I can see them, and don't try anything stupid unless you really want to eat a bullet…"

Special Agent Martian Hacker turned to face his one time partner but was surprised to see the 9mm pistol still pointed at him, "Is this really necessary Matthew?"

Matt nodded, "Of course it is since you're under arrest for breaking and entering… Would you like me to read you your rights now, or do you just want to forgo all that and tell me why the hell you're here?"

"Matthew," The FBI agent smiled, "If you'd put the gun down, I'll explain…" 

"Oh, I'm sorry is this making you uncomfortable?" Matt glanced briefly at his weapon but continued to point it at the man, "Too bad… I guess it must have just slipped your mind that there's no reason for me to trust you anymore…" 

"But you should…" The FBI agent gave him a shallow smile, "You mind it I sit down?"

"Help yourself." Matt nodded to a chair and just as Hacker went to sit, Matt kicked it out of the way and slammed into the man and pressed the gun to the side of the man's neck, "Where are they?!"

Hacker grunted softly as he hit the wall with a resounding thud, "I can't tell you what I don't know…" 

"Oh, yeah, right… just like you didn't know anything about the Illuminati." Matt adjusted his grip on his gun and shifted his forearm over the man's neck. "You are so full of it and to tell you the truth, I sick and tired of messing around with you…."

"We… go… back a long way… Matthew…" Hacker gasped.

"Apparently not far enough…" Matt hiss as he increased the pressure of his forearm slightly. "Is this how you did in those poor bastards you beat and left all over the city?"

"The…Illuminati… isn't responsible…"

Matt finally noted Hacker was starting to turn an interesting shade of blue and released the pressure slightly since he really didn't want to kill the man, "Yeah, right, whatever…"

"I've always looked out for you Matthew…"

"Hacker, you were the one who helped get me booted out of the Bureau in the fist place!" Matt gave his former partner a scathing look of disgust and stepped back allowing the man to fall to his knees. "You knew about the Illuminati the entire time! Hell, you're a goddamn member of the group!"

Agent Hacker stood up slowly trying to catch his breath, "And I'm the one who got you in…" 

"And you will never let me forget it will you?" Matt started to lower the weapon and then suddenly changed his mind, "What? Now because of that everything will always be on their terms? Well, they can hang that over my head but I'm not willing to bet my partner's life on their good graces…"

"Look, awhile back the Illuminati did want a Gargoyle… and since you accomplished what none of the others could do, the Society opened its doors to you." Agent Hacker bent over and picked up the fallen chair to sit down but noted he still had a weapon trained on him, "But after what happened with Mace Malone we realized there was no way we could realistically expect hold on to one. After that, the focus of the group shifted…" 

"To killing innocent by standers in hopes that one of the Gargoyles would just throw themselves on the mercy of the all powerful Illuminati to make it stop?" Matt interjected.

"Not hardly… Matthew, sometimes you have to look past the obvious and see the truth for what it is… The Illuminati do not want the Gargoyles…"

Matt lowered his weapon and placed it back in his shoulder holster, "Then who does?"

Hacker sat up straight on the chain, "You know I can't tell you that…"

"See, that's were you're wrong." Matt gave him a grim smile and pulled the Illuminati pin out of his pocket and tossed it on the floor between them, "Like you said… you're the one who got me in. You're the one who's gonna help me."

Hacker moved to stand up, "Matthew…"

"It's not open to debate…" Matt pulled his pistol back out and while he didn't exactly point it at Hacker, he didn't exactly point it away either. "Let me spell it out for you, Jon Canmore probably thinks Goliath and his Clan are killing his little band of groupies but we both know those guys weren't Quarrymen…"

The FBI agent shook his head in disbelief, "You found a way into their database?"

"You know I did so don't play coy with me, I don't have the time for it." Matt pointed to the chair with his weapon, "Now sit back down and talk to me because I know you have the prints for the dead guys and I imagine you know who they are. If you didn't, I doubt you'd be ransacking my partner's apartment looking for this…"

Matt reached in his pocket and produced the Quarrymen pendant Jon had given them weeks ago. Hacker looked at it and Matt smiled when his jaw dropped open, "Surprised?"

"Where did you get that?"

"Where do you think I got it from?" Matt took a step forward, "Now I'm assuming you are looking for Elisa's…"

Hacker sat down slowly, "You both received one?

Matt was slightly shocked to discover the Illuminati weren't tapped into nearly as many sources of information as he thought, but he didn't have time to question that particular issue. "The next thing I want to hear come out of your mouth is who has Elisa and Goliath, where they are, and why are the Illuminati are posing as Quarrymen."

Hacker was slow to respond, "It's not members of the Illuminati… at least not anymore…"

Matt cocked his head, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means if your partner and her 'friend' have been taken, it was done by factions no longer associated with the Illuminati…"

"I didn't think the Illuminati would stand for people leaving…" Matt replied slowly.

"Matthew, we are not in the habit of holding our members hostage…" 

Matt rolled his eyes in disgust, "Get to the point…"

"Anytime you have a group that has been around as long as the Illuminati has, you find groups of dissidents who wish to serve their own agenda. The Klu Klux Klan has the Skinheads, the Nazi manner of thinking helped spawn the Arian Nation… The Illuminati is no exception… 

"I'm still waiting on that point…"

Hacker sighed and rubbed his throat, "About a year ago some of the members of the group became… well… disenchanted with the direction the Illuminati was going… they chose to leave the Society…"

"Great vigilantes from a secret society, just what the world needs more of…" Matt mumbled as he scratched the side of his head with the muzzle of the pistol. He paused and then focused back on Hacker, "But I'm guessing you still track them…"

"Some, but not all…" Hacker reached into his pocket and handed Matt a sheet of paper, "If you look closely I'm sure you'll find the answers you need…and of course you understand I'm not the one who gave this information to you…"

Matt smirked, "This is a sham… You planned on giving this to me the whole time…"

"Maybe," Martian Hacker stood to leave and straighten out his jacket and tie, "but only because the Illuminati needs you Matthew…"

Matt barely acknowledged the statement as he tucked the list in his pocket and started to walk out of Elisa's apartment, "By the way, I really hate it when you call me Matthew…"

Hacker bent over and picked up the pin Matt had tossed on the floor earlier and held it out to him, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh yeah… right…Thanks for reminding me." 

Matt reached down to pick up Cagney and removed the Quarrymen pendant Elisa had put around the cat's neck for safe keeping and tucked it in his pocket along with his before dropping the cat back to the floor. "Make sure to lock up when you leave…Elisa will absolutely kill you if Cagney gets out…"

Hacker shook his head slowly as he placed the illuminati pin in his pocket, "You'll be back Matthew…"

Matt gave his former partner a half smile as he continued out the door, "Don't bet on it…"

***** ***** *****

Captain Maria Chavez stood silently looking over the towing records. She didn't need to check the inventory listing or verify serial numbers against the impound record to know what she was looking at.

Bluestone told her his partner was running a lead, but that couldn't be possible since Elisa Maza's Ford Fairlane, her pride and joy, was sitting in the center of the New York City Impound lot.

She knew there was no way Detective Maza would have allowed that to happen… not if she could help it.

Captain Chavez walked around the Fairlane slowly looking for any sign of forced entry thinking someone might have taken it for a joy ride and then left it in the park area but found none. She glanced down to the paperwork she held in her hands and read through the pages again. According to the towing records, someone reported the Fairlane being illegally parked in Central Park but it hadn't been towed until 4:37 that morning. She rolled up the impound sheet and walked back over to the building where the Impound Supervisor stood waiting for her return. 

"So did you find what you were looking for Captain?" Peterson asked.

The woman responded without really answering the question, "I want the car taken over to the 23rd." 

Peterson nodded, "I figured you would…" He handed her a stack of paper on a clipboard, "Just need you to fill out the release."

"Thanks…" She began signing the forms and glanced up briefly, "Who called this in?"

Peterson reached back over and grabbed a second clipboard and flipped through it, "I didn't get a name… but the call came in just after 1 AM… sounded like a young guy…. He claimed it was blocking a fire lane in the park…"

Captain Chavez nodded and handed the clipboard back, "When you get to the 23rd, Officer Morgan will sign the rest of the release forms."

Peterson nodded and walked off to get a wrecker to tow the Fairlane. As Captain Chavez watched him leave she paused for a moment to considered the sequence of events. 

Detective Bluestone, herself, Mayor Anderson, and the entire GTF had been in the park at midnight and left shortly after 2 am.

The Fairlane was first called in at 1 am.

Which meant at some point while they were searching for a gargoyle in Central Park, Elisa was there as well… and Matt never mentioned it. 

The Fairlane was towed at 4:37.

She talked to Matt shortly after five looking for Elisa and Matt told her she was out.

Captain Chavez folded the impound paperwork and placed it in her jacket pocket and moved to her own vehicle. She checked her watch and decided it was time to have another little chat with Detective Bluestone about his partner.

And this time she wanted the truth.

***** ***** *****

David Xanatos clicked the conference monitor off and turned around in his chair to look out over the mid afternoon sky line, "Ah… another day, another million dollar take over."

He was about to rise when he heard someone enter his office. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was since Fox had taken Alexander out for the afternoon. "What is it Owen?"

Owen Burnett cleared his voice lightly, "Detective Bluestone is here to see you Sir…"

"Tell him I'm very busy and that…" Xanatos turned to see Matt Bluestone was already in his office and quickly amended his thought process, "I'm more than happy to make time to see him…"

Matt intentionally bumped Owen on his way past causing the man to shift slightly. He moved to the only chair in the office and took a seat and glared at the billionaire businessman, "We need to talk…"

"Please, take a seat Detective and make yourself comfortable." Xanatos replied sarcastically. He cocked his head slightly and gave the detective his best 'Make it quick' look, "What can I do for you?"

Matt didn't waist any time getting to the point, "Why did you leave the Illuminati?" 

Xanatos's face remained impassive but he glanced to Owen briefly before answering, "What makes you think I was ever a member Detective?"  


"They sent their regards," Matt tossed the list on the desk, "Your name is third from the top."

"I assumed as much…" Xanatos carefully scanned down the names before responding, "So what does this list have to do with you wanting to know why I left the Illuminati?"

"Probably nothing, but one of the people on that list kidnapped Elisa, Goliath, and probably Demona so I need…" 

"What?" Xanatos stood abruptly, "When did this happen?" 

"Last night," Matt was surprised to see what appeared to be genuine concern on the man's face, "I need your help to figure out who did this before they decide to kill them…"

"I wish you had said something when this first happened…" Xanatos rubbed his goatee thoughtfully and handed the list back to Matt, "Still, if one of the people on that list did this, I doubt killing them is what they have in mind… at least not Detective Maza… although she might become a part of the formula…"

Matt shot out of his chair like a rocket, "What the hell does that mean?" 

"It means I might not know who 'kidnapped' them but I may have an idea as to why they were taken… Rest assured, Detective, it shouldn't be too hard to find them." Xanatos waved his right hand man forward, "Owen, set up the locator on the Exo-frame…"

"Right away Sir." Owen walked out without another word but made it a point of bumping Matt as he walked out of the office.

Matt watched as Xanatos picked up the phone and dialed a number, "Who are you calling?"

Xanatos held up a hand to silence him, "Fox, its David… I need the frequency for the tracker…" He picked up a pen and jotted down a series of numbers, "Thank-you Darling… I love you too… Yes, I'll see you soon…"

Matt stood with his hands on his hips, "You wanna tell me what the hell is going on?"

"It's simple. When Fox had Detective Maza's jacket I had her place a tracking device inside the lining…"

"You bugged Elisa?" Matt gave him an incredulous look, "Do you go out of your way to do things like this or is it second nature?"

"Do you really think she would she have worn it willingly? We needed to track her since she's still suffering from the apparent effects of her Bond with Goliath." Xanatos smiled thinly, "Besides, I would think you'd be grateful. As long as she has the jacket, we should have no trouble finding her and the others…"

Matt shook his head in disbelief but as it stood, he had no choice but to agree, "Fine, but that still doesn't explain why they were taken in the first place…"

The billionaire businessman nodded, "True..." From the looks he was getting from the detective, Xanatos realized the man was waiting for an answer not a statement, "Take a seat Detective."  


Matt sat down slowly as Xanatos began to speak, "Some time ago, I came across an item of particular interest to the Illuminati called The Cauldron of Life…"

***** ***** *****

The story didn't take long since Matt had overheard bits and pieces of it from Hudson in the past. But even with his belief in secret societies and conspiracy theories, he still found Xanatos's version hard to accept at face value. "So you're telling me you failed to obtain the immorality the Illuminati wanted and that's why you left?"

"No, and 'failed' is such a strong word…" Xanatos shrugged, "Once I discovered the true nature of the Cauldron it was pointless to try and use it as the legend indicated."

"What was the 'true nature' of the Cauldron?" Matt questioned.

Xanatos smiled, "Let's just say the translation was truer than I… or Owen… would have expected…"

"Did you tell the Illuminati?"

"No, but I knew they were interested in the results…"

"Oh man…" Matt rubbed his eyes as the pieces began to fall into place in his mind, "I bet that's why they wanted me to get them a Gargoyle…" 

"Meaning?" Xanatos questioned.

Matt leaned back in his chair, "In order to gain access to the Illuminati, I had to bring them a Gargoyle. I took Goliath…"

"Clearly they didn't keep him…" Xanatos leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together but managed to keep the smug looks to a minimum. 

"No, but only because I helped him escape..." Matt rubbed his head, "I guess they had no idea you already knew the effects…"

"No, they don't." Xanatos agreed, "Several members approached me later inquiring about the Cauldron but I had already melted it down and used the material to build the Coyote 4.0 robot. My decision to melt it down obviously caused some discourse in the group so I can only assume the factions who left the Illuminati are now trying to recreate the experiment… and since the spell calls for the skin of a Gargoyle…"

"They need a live Gargoyle…" Matt replied softly. "But why kill those men?"

"If the renegade Illuminati plans failed, and I assure you they will, I'm sure they would want a place to lay blame… The Quarrymen obviously have a problem with the Gargoyles therefor both groups make the perfect scapegoats." 

Owen walked in just as Xanatos stopped speaking, "There is also the matter of the legend itself. The literal translation of the spell calls for the sacrifice of a righteous man…"

"Oh this is just great!" Matt exclaimed. He started to pace the room but stopped short and turned to Owen, "Wait… they would still need the Cauldron and Xanatos said he melted it down..."

Owen nodded, "He did, but the Coyote robot was destroyed in Arizona." 

Matt turned to look at Xanatos, "But you still have the metal right?"

"No…" Xanatos shook his head, "I don't…"

"Figures…" Matt muttered softly, "OK… you have a tracker on Elisa. Turn the damn thing on and let's go get them before they try and test out the legend…"

Owen cleared his throat, "It will take several hours to install the locator on the Exo-suit and encode the frequency for the transmitter…"

Matt groaned and was about to speak when his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and flipped it open, "Bluestone…"

"Where are you?"

Matt cringed upon hearing Captain Chavez's voice, "Ah… I'm at home…"

Captain Chavez's voice was laced with anger, "Detective, I'm at your apartment now…and guess what? You're not here."

"Shit," Matt paused and checked his watch, "I'll be there in five minutes…" 

He hung up the phone and handed Xanatos back the list of departed Illuminati members. "I should be back before sunset but if I'm not, give the list to Brooklyn. Tell him I said to have Lexington check the Quarrymen database against this and see if any of the current members used to be Illuminati because I'm betting there's at least one..."

"Consider it done…" Xanatos folded up the sheet and placed it in his pocket, "Where are you going?"

Matt continued to walk out of the office and through the Great Hall, "To see who I can still trust…" 

***** ***** *****

Elisa wiped the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her bomber jacket and refocused back on the locking mechanism of the cell door. She was currently using one of Demona's arm bracelets to try and jimmy the lock open. It had taken her several hours to bend the bracelet into an acceptable shape and then several more to work it into the lock without breaking it off inside. So far she was having little success and once again she mentally berated television for making picking a lock appear to be so damn easy.

Dominique watched Elisa with a certain degree of skepticism, "If you ruin that I will not be pleased…"

Elisa held back her initial response and glanced over to her, "I'll take that under advisement, besides I think you might have mentioned two or three hundred times already…"

Dominique gave Elisa a loathsome expression but didn't have time to voice the sentiment when the door on the far side of the room came open. Elisa quickly slipped the improvised lock pick into her pocket and moved away from the bars.

She immediately went on the defensive when the three men walked in since two of the men held the tasers tightly in their grasp. The three men were more than surprised to see two humans in the cells but said nothing to either of the prisoners. Elisa instantly recognized Jenkins and felt her apprehension rise and recognized her worst fears were about to happen.

The men were going to try and destroy Goliath while he slept but there was no way she was going to let that happen without a fight.

Elisa moved closer to the bars in order to place herself between Goliath and the potential threat and watched as the men stood off to the side in quiet deliberation. Jenkins said something to one of the men and he abruptly broke ranks and moved to Dominique's cell and tried to jab her with the taser. 

Human or Gargoyle, the woman would be forever suspicious of the actions of humans and sensed an attack would be coming. Dominique quickly stepped the side and grabbed the protective covering on the pole trying to pull the man closer. She managed to grab the man's shirt and was about reach for his throat when one of the other men to ran over and jabbed her from the side with the other taser effectively ending the fight. Dominique screamed in agony and dropped to the floor unmoving. 

The first man apparently wasn't satisfied with her unconscious form and jabbed her again causing her to twitch involuntarily on the floor. All this happened so fast that Elisa was stunned but she knew had to do something before the man killed her. 

"Hey!" she hollered out. The man turned and took two steps towards her cell and tried to repeat the action he'd taken against Dominique.

Elisa jumped back but because Goliath's stone form was now blocking her retreat, she was not able to get away in time. Stabbing pain coursed through her body and she fell into an unconscious heap on the ground. 

Jenkins started to speak but fell silent when a concealed wall panel slid to the side on the opposite side of the room. A fourth man walked in and paused as he glanced into the cells. He looked from Elisa's cell to the cell where a very human Dominique Destine lay unmoving, "I thought you said two gargoyles were captured?"

Jenkins shifted slightly, "There were… I don't know how to explain it… but I'm telling you, there were two of them down here…"

The man looked thoughtful for a moment not quite understanding why the woman in the cell would be wearing a halter and a loin cloth, but then again this was New York. He glanced back to Jenkins, "Could Castaway be on to you?"

Jenkins shook his head negatively and the man nodded absently then looked over to the others and jerked a thumb over his shoulder indicating the cell occupied by Elisa and Goliath, "How long before we can get him out of the out of the cell?"

Allen Jenkins looked back to his leader, "Castaway is still having his shoulder checked out. It might be sometime before he comes back down…"

"We can't count on that…" The man checked his watch, "We only have a few hours before nightfall so we'll have to wait and hope the creature goes willingly…" He then turned to the other two men, "Prepare the others for the ceremony and have them select a new candidate."

Jenkins inclined his head slightly as the others left the room. With the exception of Elisa Maza and the unknown human woman's breathing, the room was deathly quiet. He gave the man a curious but unassuming expression, "Sir, I was to be…"

The man recognized the looked and smiled gently, "No… I'm sorry. If Castaway discovers you're missing it might cause him to go looking about, therefore it cannot be you…"

"I understand…" Jenkins replied softly. He was about to continue when he heard John Castaway calling for him, "You should go before he comes down to check on them…" 

"Not to worry my young friend, your time will come…" The man moved to leave the room but paused and looked back at the unconscious form of Elisa Maza. She groaned softly but her eyes remained shut and she didn't move. He then turned his gaze to the immobile stone Gargoyle, "If you only knew how long we have waited for this moment… very soon the time will come for you to fulfill our destiny…"

The man stood and walked back over to the secret panel, "When you can do so without raising suspicion kill Maza and the other woman."

"What about Castaway?" Jenkins questioned softly.

Mayor Jeffery Anderson looked thoughtful, "I leave that to your discretion…" 

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	14. Force and Counterforce

****

Flashback Part 14: Force and Counterforce

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

****

Part 14 in the series

Disclaimer: They aren't mine and I'm making no money off this… I wish I was but that's not the point… The point is Disney owns them and I'm borrowing them… 

After a short and remarkably painful break I'm back to working on the series. Sorry about the delay but the rest will be forth coming soon. As always feedback is welcome… 

Happy Reading J

***** ***** *****

Elisa swore she could hear a voice calling out to her but somehow it sounded muted and distant in her ears. The only thing she knew for certain was whoever was speaking to her happened to be shaking her as well. The motion was causing shooting pains to course though her body. 

"Leave me alone…" she muttered softly as she tried to push the annoyance away.

"Good… they didn't kill you…" the voice replied harshly.

Elisa barely recognized the voice. She rolled over and without too much effort was able to remind herself where she was and what her situation was. She felt a flash of relief as her hand came into contact with Goliath's stone form and then shock when she realized Dominique Destine was actually standing in the cell with her. 

Her earlier disorientation quickly diminished as she tried to stand on her own, "How did you get in here?"

Dominique held out a small silver key and dangled it front of Elisa's face, "You really are a pathetic species…"

Elisa half way expected Dominique to offer her some assistance in standing. Since it didn't appear that was going to happen any time soon, she braced herself against Goliath's stone form and pulled herself to her feet, "Where did that come from?"

"The man who attacked me earlier," Dominique replied with a touch of arrogance, "He was foolish enough to keep it on his belt…"

Elisa found herself smiling inspite of herself. While she really didn't want to admit it, she was more than impressed Dominique had been observant enough to notice the key, especially when she herself had not. 

"Yeah, I guess that was pretty stupid…" Elisa acknowledged softly. She gave a quick glance around the room before turning back to face the woman, "How much time do we have before sunset?"

Dominique stood with her hands on her hips, "Do I look like a sundial to you?" She replied sarcastically.

"As a matter of fact yes you do…" Elisa retorted as she made a half effort to brush the dirt from her jeans and bomber jacket.

Dominique looked as if she was going to respond to the comment but at the last minute changed her mind and answered the original question, "Not long…"

Elisa nodded, "OK… first thing we need to do is figure out the best way to get Goliath out…"

"I think not since I have done more than enough for you already…" Dominique turned to walk out of the cell and moved down the corridor towards the door at the end of the hall, "This is where we part company Human…"

Elisa followed behind her, "Do you really expect to just walk out of here?"

"No, I expect to fight my way out of here…" Dominique countered without looking back.

"They'll kill you." Elisa warned.

Dominique paused then turned to give Elisa a hateful smile, "We both know _that _is not possible…" She continued down the hall forcing Elisa to run in order to catch her.

"Damn it!" Elisa grabbed the woman by the arm and spun her around, "As much as you're not gonna want to hear or even admit this, you just might need my help to get out of here…"

The red haired woman jerked away and continued down the corridor, "I do not want, need, or require your help…"

"Then why bother letting me out of the cell?" Elisa crossed her arms over her chest, "You could have just walked away and I wouldn't have had the first clue as to what happened."

Dominique stopped abruptly as if the question took her by surprise, "I wanted my bracelet back…"

"Yeah, right…" Elisa dropped her hand into the pocket of her bomber jacket and noted the bracelet was still tucked safely inside. She pulled it out and tapped it against the palm of her hand, "I think we both know that was _not_ the reason…"

"Yes it was." Dominique took a step in Elisa's direction, "Now give it back…"

"Come and get it." Elisa challenged. 

"You are playing a very foolish game…" A slow but calculating smile came over Dominique's face, "I have been looking forward to this for sometime…"

Elisa knew they didn't have time for this nonsense. But it was obvious Dominique could have cared less and Elisa didn't think the woman was in the frame of mind to discuss the situation rationally. She took on a more defensive posture and physically prepared herself to meet the immortal woman's wrath, "I've beaten you before and I can damn sure do it again…" 

The challenge went unanswered when a loud clanking came from the end of the corridor forcing both women to fall silent. Without saying a word, an uneasy truce was called between them as they cautiously positioned themselves on either side of the entrance. A few seconds later the door opened and young man walked through with one of the taser poles. 

Elisa waited to see if anyone else would follow but the man was apparently alone. She reached out and grabbed the taser and quickly jerked it out of his hands. The ploy worked as the man was completely caught off guard by the attack. 

"What the…?" he gasped in disbelief.

Dominique, however, took the more direct route and grabbed the man before he had the chance to react any further to Elisa's attack and spun him around in her grasp. 

In one fluid motion, Dominique wrapped one arm around his mouth and used the other to grab him by the hair. Elisa quickly realized the enraged woman had every intention of pulling the man's head right off his shoulders. She hastily came to the man's rescue but not quiet in the manner he might have hoped or expected. 

Instead of grabbing Dominique, Elisa pressed the taser his midsection causing him to double over in pain. The man slumped unconsciously in Dominique's grasp and the sudden dead weight forced her to drop him to the ground. She spun around and scowled at Elisa, "What the hell do you think your doing?!"

Elisa's voice was low, but the words seemed to carry as if she had yelled them at the top of her lungs, "I'd like to think I'm preventing you from doing something incredibly stupid…"

Dominique hissed at her and took a step forward causing Elisa to take a step back. The two mortal enemies circled each other slowly but when Elisa took a step forward, Dominique stepped back and bared her teeth, "And just what are your intentions now?"

Elisa gave her a curious expression and then finally understood the only reason Dominique had not attacked was because she still had the taser in her possession. She glanced briefly down to the taser and then back to Dominique.

"I really don't want to fight you…" Elisa tossed the pole to the side and did her best to address Dominique in a civilized tone, "All I want to do is get Goliath out of here without anyone else getting killed in the process."

Dominique glanced in the direction Elisa tossed the taser, "You are foolish to toss away your only means of defense…"

Elisa shifted uneasily but made no movement towards the taser, "It's a chance I'm willing to take…" 

For a moment she thought Dominique might try to make a move for the taser. In the end, and much to her surprise, Dominique bent over to grab the unconscious man by the back of his shirt and began dragging him towards her empty cell.

"I now understand where Goliath found his weakness…"

"I'll take that as a complement…" Elisa replied quietly.

"It was not intended to be one." Dominique grunted softly under the weight of the unconscious man, "I do this to server my own purposes…so do not presume to read into this…"

"It never occurred to me to think otherwise…" Elisa breathed a sigh of relief and waited for Dominique to drop the man in the cell. She lingered at the entrance until the woman exited the cell then moved in and conducted a quick search of the man and found yet another set of keys. 

She suspected they were for the outside door leading to where they were being held. It was a stroke of luck but she had been hoping to find something a bit more substantial. On the other hand she couldn't expect to find a detailed map of where they were being held so the keys were better than nothing. At the very least they now had a means of escape but that led to a whole new set of problems.

Just as the thought of an escape plan entered Elisa's mind, Dominique shoved past her to pick up the discarded taser, "I assume you have some plan for getting out of here…

Elisa stood up and scratched her head absently and winced when her hand came into contact with the dried blood from her previous injury. She gave her companion a sidelong glance as she walked out of the cell and decided now would not be the best time to thank Dominique for not bashing in her skull the previous night. 

Besides, Elisa wasn't entirely certain who hit her and she didn't want to give Dominique credit for something she was reasonably certain the woman would be more than happy to take. She flipped through the keys trying to decide which one might be for the security door. 

"Well… Matt and the rest of the Clan probably started looking for me and Goliath last night..." She elected to ignore the muttered curse Dominique voiced and continued, "But I don't think we can count on them finding us, at least not right now." 

"I find your analogy most fascinating and I'm sure the Hunter will find it equally enthralling when he comes back down to see why his little minion has not yet returned." Dominique leaned casually against the bars of the cell where Goliath remained locked in stone sleep, "You will be getting to the highlights of your plan soon I hope…"

Elisa was now to the point of exasperation, "Look, I doubt waiting for Goliath to wake up would be a good idea and its not like we can just go walking out the door looking like…" 

She stopped mid sentence and glanced back into the cell where the unconscious man still lay. For the first time since this whole situation began to unfold a smile began to form on her lips.

"Then again… maybe we can…"

***** ***** *****

For some reason the traffic was heavier than usual so it took Matt longer than the five minutes he anticipated to reach his apartment. He walked through the door and was shocked but not surprised to see his boss, Captain Maria Chavez sitting on his couch flipping through a stack of papers. 

"How did you get in?" he asked harshly. He knew he was in no position to be asking questions, but after his earlier run in with Martin Hacker at Elisa's apartment he simply didn't care anymore. There was too much at stake to make small talk.

Without looking up from the papers she was reading, Captain Chavez held up her badge nonchalantly, "The Building Manager let me in…" 

"Yeah, well, he's a hell of a guy…" Matt rubbed his head absently, an unconscious gesture he'd picked up from Elisa somewhere along the line. He wondered for the millionth time how it was law enforcement personnel were able to convince people to give them access to anyplace just by flashing a badge. "I guess you want to know where I was…"

"That would be nice…" Captain Chavez tossed the stack of paper to the side and stood up, "How 'bout we start with the truth this time?"

"What do you mean?" Matt voiced guardedly.

Chavez handed him a portion of the stack of papers from the couch, "I had Detective Maza's vehicle released from Impound earlier today… it was towed this morning from Central Park for being illegally parked…"

Matt was taken back for a moment but in the grand scheme of things it was the least of his worries. "Was it damaged?" he inquired.

"No, it's fine." 

"Well, she'll be happy to hear that…" Matt muttered as he flipped through the pages.

"Provided she even knew it was towed…" Chavez gave Matt a measured look, "You have no idea where she is do you?"

"Not exactly…" Matt admitted as he tossed the pages back down on the couch.

Captain Chavez was relieved to have finally gotten the truth out of him but his response was not one she wanted to hear. "Why didn't you say something earlier?" she demanded.

Matt was about to reply but found himself at a loss for words. For the first time since discovering the existence of the Gargoyles, he fully grasped the burden associated with keeping the Clan a secret. Only now did he understand how difficult it must have been for Elisa to even tell him at all. He took a deep breath and moved to sit down on the couch, "Because I don't know who I can trust…"

"Trust… what a novel concept…" Maria Chavez stood in the middle of the room not quiet believing what she was hearing, "Bluestone, I'm the one person the planet you _should_ trust no matter what!"

"I know…" He picked up the impound records and glanced them over without really reading them, "But I'm in kind of a tough spot right now…"

"You got that much right…" She walked past Matt and stopped in front of his overly cluttered desk and started shoving items around, "Christ, how in the world do you find anything in this mess Bluestone?" 

Matt leaped from the couch when he realized she was looking for his phone and grabbed it before she could find it much less attempt to dial a number, "You can't call anyone…"

"Oh, I think I can," Captain Chavez warned, "For the moment, I'm still your boss…That alone entitles me to make a call..."

She reached over to take the phone from him, but Matt held it tightly. He knew he was pushing his luck but he continued to hold his ground and kept the phone with him. Instinctively, he looked out the window of his apartment and noted the sun was going to be setting soon. "I'm pretty sure Elisa's OK…" 

"Pretty sure isn't good enough anymore..." 

Captain Chavez took a step froward and without thinking, her hand went to the grip of the service pistol at her side. Her fingers rested at the safety break on the holster and she allowed her thumb to press against the leather release strap on the holster. She watched as Matt's eyes went wide when he heard the thumb break snap open. 

Although she didn't pull the weapon, Matt got the distinct impression that was exactly what she intended to do if he didn't come up with a good answer. 

The problem was he still didn't have one. 

"Look, I really don't have time to explain but…" he started.

"Make time because this has gone on long enough and I am more than tired you jerking me around…" Chavez uttered through clenched teeth. She gave him a long hard glare before speaking again, "Your partner is missing Bluestone."

"I really think Elisa is…" Matt caught himself before he could complete the statement. He took a deep breath and in an act of faith, set the phone down on the desk and nudged it towards his boss. "Fine. You win…" 

"It's about time you came to your senses Bluestone…" Captain Chavez picked up the receiver and dialed the first three digits for the 23rd Precinct. She glanced up and found Matt looking at her with such a look of fear and panic, it actually made her flinch. She held his gaze for a few more seconds then cautiously set the receiver back into the cradle. "OK, explain to me why I'm not making this phone call…"

"I can't…" 

"Well I think you'd better…"

"I know…" Matt let loose a heavy sigh and quickly continued before she had a chance to reply, "But I can tell you this… if you had called anyone, it might have tipped them off… then Elisa and everyone else involved really will be in danger…"

***** ***** *****

Elisa moved cautiously down the hall. She paused then glanced back to the woman behind her. She fought back a smile since she was relatively certain Dominique would not have appreciated it. It had taken only a few minutes for them to strip the man down to his underclothing and even less time for Dominique to change into them. As it turned out the man was about two sizes bigger than Dominique and the clothing hung on the woman like a tent. 

The only thing they hadn't been able to hide was her fiery red hair but with a minimal amount of bickering Elisa had been able to tie it back and it was tucked into the back of Dominique's 'borrowed' black shirt. Elisa's hair was secured in a similar fashion but she had left her bomber jacket behind with Goliath in order to try and blend in as much as possible. For all intents and purposes they looked like female members of Jon Canmore's merry little band of gargoyle haters. 

The thought of it made Elisa sick to her stomach.

So far they had encountered no one and few the rooms they had come across had been empty. The hall ended at a stairwell and from the layout, Elisa assumed it to be a fire exit. She paused and craned her head around making sure the coast was clear. She was trying to decide whether to go up or down when Dominique brushed past her and jerked the taser out of her hands and started to go down. Elisa shook her head slightly and hoped the woman knew where she was going. 

There was a door at the end of the steps and Dominique carefully reached out to turn the knob. It was unlocked, and the door creaked softly as it opened. Elisa felt her anxiety level rise as they entered. 

The room was roughly the same size as the briefing room at the 23rd Precinct but that was as far as the resemblance went. The lighting was poor and the walls had been painted with a dark colored paint. Upon closer inspection Elisa noted the few windows present had been bricked over. The room felt more like a chamber and it had a foul scent to it.

"What is this place?" Elisa whispered. She knelt down and ran her fingers over the floor. It looked as if it had been scrubbed recently but there was still a large dark stain near the center of the room. 

With her eyes now accustom to the dim lighting she continued to search the room. In a far corner she found several baseball bats along with a small pile of rags. 

The rags were damp and discolored as if they had been used to clean up whatever had tainted the center of the floor. Gingerly, pushed the rags aside with her foot and crouched down to examine the bats. Elisa was hesitant to touch them with her bare hands but they appeared to be clean. She was about to stand when something odd about one of the bats caught her eye. It almost escaped her attention because it was tucked in behind the others. What made it stand out was the fact that it was stained and had a series of small fractures in the wood. 

Elisa had watched her brother play enough baseball while growing up to recognize a broken bat when she saw one. She allowed her mind to drift back to the autopsy reports provided by Jack Miller. Wood splinters had been found in the bodies. Her mind drifted back further to comments she made to Matt about the killer or killers stopping once the bat broke. 

"What the heck stinks in here?" Elisa questioned. Cautiously she continued to search the room. Without thinking, she took in a deep breath and nearly gagged. The stench seemed to permeate the room so she did her best to breathe through her mouth hoping it would limit the gut wrenching feeling building in her stomach. 

Dominique's words were nearly inaudible, "I know this smell…"

It was the tone of her voice, or rather the lack of tone in her voice, that forced Elisa to glance back to look at the woman, "What do you mean?" 

A dark cloud seemed to pass over the woman's eyes as she spoke, but it quickly passed only to be replaced with the familiar distrust Elisa had become accustom to seeing, "It is the smell of betrayal…"

"What do you mean it's the smell of…?" Elisa almost completed the question when it hit her.

It wasn't betrayal they were smelling.

It was death.

Human death.

"I gotta bad feeling about this…" Elisa muttered softly as she continued to work her way around the perimeter of the room.

She stopped by a large pile of rags and toed at it slightly until she felt her foot come into contact with something hard. Cautiously, she pulled the top layers back to expose the object underneath. 

The body was that of a young man, wearing the same style of clothing found on the other victims. It was clear he'd been beaten some time ago and then left in the room until it was time dump the body.

Elisa dropped the covering back over the dead man's body, "Not only did I just find my crime scene but I also have proof that Jon Canmore is bashing his own people in order to set up the Clan…"

As soon as she made the statement something felt wrong about it. She glanced back at the dead man then turned to face Dominique, "Who did you see that night in the alley?"

Dominique dismissed the question and held up silencing hand, "Quiet… I hear something…"

You're imagining things…" Despite the statement, Elisa strained and after a few seconds she could hear footsteps coming from above their heads. "I think we'd better get out of here…"

They slowly began to back out of the room, but stopped short when a wall panel near the exit slid to the side. A shadow stepped into the room and the voice sounded sad coming at them in the darkness, "It would have been so much better if you had remained in your cells…" 

Dominique moved into an attack position and just as she stepped forward, Elisa caught a brief flash of polished metal. She held the other woman back understanding they had bigger problems than just an intruder. 

Allen Jenkins stepped further into the room and pointed a snub-nosed 38 revolver at the two women, "Now give the taser to me…"

***** ***** *****

Xanatos stood off to the side in the Great Hall waiting for the Gargoyles to awaken. The remaining clan members had gone into their Stone Sleep while trying to locate Elisa and Goliath. Lexington's stone form sat at the computer pointing at some unseen information on the darkened monitor.

He walked over and noted the monitor wasn't off but that the screen saver had been activated. He reached over to move the mouse causing the screen to come to life. Xanatos scanned the information and was about to call Owen but changed his mind and reached into his pocket to retrieve his cellular phone.

***** ***** *****

The room was deathly quiet and Matt had no idea how long he and Captain Chavez had been staring at each other but both of them nearly jumped out of their skin when his cell phone rang. He gave her an inquisitive glance and breathed a sigh of relief when she nodded for him to take the call. 

Matt pulled the phone out and flipped it open, "Hello…?"

"Detective Bluestone," The voice started, "I happened to come across some information you might find interesting…"

Matt did his best to keep his face from showing surprise when he realized who it was that was calling him, "OK…"

Xanatos' voice paused, "Is everything alright Detective?"

"Sure, why wouldn't it be?" Not wanting to disclose who he was talking to, Matt tried to keep his comments neutral, "What can I help you with?"

The detective's tone told Xanatos he was not alone, "I'll make this brief. None of the former members of the group you are looking into are part of the Quarrymen."

Matt noted Xanatos failed to mention the Illuminati by name but figured that was who he was speaking of. He glanced to Captain Chavez before speaking, "Are you sure?" 

"Of course. However I know one of the men on the list you gave me has a son. The son's name is on Quarrymen list."

"So he might know about the…" Matt sucked in his breath and realized it might not be a good idea for him to mention the Illuminati or anything associated with the group over the open phone line, "What's his name?"

"Allen Jenkins." Xanatos replied shortly.

"Jenkins… Thanks I'll check it out…" Matt sighed as the line went dead. He closed the phone and put it back in his pocket and looked over to Captain Chavez and noted the strange expression on her face, "What?"

"The name…" Captain Chavez rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Jenkins…" 

"OK…" Matt prompted, "What about it?"

"That wouldn't happen to be an Allen Jenkins would it?" She questioned.

"Yeah…" Matt felt his uneasiness rise, "Do you know him?"

"He's one of the temps who's been helping out at the 23rd…" Captain Chavez sighed, "The only reason the name sticks out is because Mayor Anderson practically demanded the guy be hired…"

"He's working at the 23rd?!" Matt cried out.

"Not anymore… he took off in the middle of his shift last night and no one has seen him since." 

"Oh man…" Matt turned and started to walk out the door but paused and gave Captain Chavez a cautious look, "Look, I know neither Elisa or myself has given you much of a reason as of late to trust us… but now… I'm asking for it…"

Captain Chavez seemed to consider his request for a moment then reached down and fastened the leather strap back over her pistol, "You realize I'm doing this against my better judgement." 

"I know…"

She gave Matt a wary look as he walked out the door, "When this is over I'm going to want some answers…" 

"Give me a couple of hours… with any luck… we'll all get some answers…"

***** ***** *****

Elisa struggled to remember what Jon Canmore had called the man earlier and in a flash it came to her, "Jenkins… you really don't want to do this…" She held out a hand, "Give me the gun and we can call this whole thing off…"

Allen Jenkins continued to stare at them but made no effort to hand the gun over, "Give me the taser…" he repeated.

"I'm sure whatever Jon Can… Castaway has gotten you into, I can help get you out of it…" Elisa took a tentative step forward but stopped abruptly when she heard him cock the hammer back on the revolver, "Look, I know who you are…" she cautioned.

Dominique went to shove past Elisa, "And I know what you are…"

Jenkins attention had been focused solely on the woman detective but he found his eyes drawn to the unknown woman. Deliberately he pointed the pistol in her, "You have no idea what I am…"

Elisa watched the drama unfolding before her. Just as she was about to speak Dominique screamed out and doubled over, dropping the taser to the ground. While Elisa knew exactly what was happening, Jenkins obviously did not, so she used the distraction to her advantage.

She quickly picked up the taser pole from the ground and jabbed Jenkins in the leg. He fell to the ground without a word and she hastily stepped forward and kicked the gun out of the man's reach just for good measure then turned and watched as Dominique Destine completed the transformation back into Demona.

***** ***** *****

Xanatos was still looking over the information on the computer screen when he heard the crackling of stone. He shot a quick look over Brooklyn and noted the tale-tell signs of the gargoyles awakening. He stepped back and held up his arms to protect his face and eyes as a shower of stone and shale rained over him.

Lexington stretched and yawned before noting it wasn't Matt standing in front of him, "What's going on? Where's Matt? Did he find Elisa and Goliath?"

"No." Xanatos wiped a thin layer of dust from his custom made Italian suit then slipped a well manicured hand into his jacket and handed the list of disavowed Illuminati members over to the young gargoyle, "He asked me to give this to you…"

Brooklyn took a step forward trying to see what it was that Xanatos had given Lexington, "What is it?"

"I'm sure he'll explain when he gets here..." Xanatos turned to leave, "If you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to…"

"Idiot…" Broadway muttered under his breath.

"Give it a rest..." Brooklyn replied while looking over Lexington's shoulder at the list of names, "What do you make of it Lex?"

"I dunno…" Lexington scan over the names and then glanced over to the computer. He was about to reach for the keyboard when Matt came running into the room.

"Good, you're awake…" 

"Matt!" Angela cried out. "Where have you been? Have you found Elisa and my father?"

"Not yet but I think we might be close…" Matt wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled several sheets of paper out of a folder. He paused while the others moved into to listen, "There is a guy by the name of Allen Jenkins who's been working at the 23rd as a temp… he's also a member of the Quarrymen…"

"The Quarrymen have them?" Brooklyn's eyes flashed white as his wings spread out, "Where?!"

"Damn it listen to me! It's not the Quarrymen, at least not exactly. Besides, I've already been to this guy's place and the building manager hasn't seen him in weeks and his apartment looks abandoned… But I did find some pretty interesting stuff in there…" 

"Like what?" Brooklyn asked.

"There was enough anti-gargoyle propaganda to keep the Quarrymen in flyers till the end of time and about a mile of compute and phone wiring. But the real kicker were these…" Matt pulled another stack of papers out and handed them to the group. Their responses where much the same as his when he first found them.

"Pictures of Elisa…" Broadway replied, "How did this guy get them?"

"I think they're surveillance photos… This guy has been following her around for awhile…" Matt shuffled through the rest of the folder, "I did some checking and most of them appeared to have been taken while we were at the various crime scenes around the city…" 

"Hold on a sec Matt…" Brooklyn turned around when he heard the clanking of metal on stone. It was a sound he'd become very familiar with when living in the Castle before and he turned slowly to see David Xanatos in his trademark red Gargoyle setup walking into the Great Hall with Owen following behind him.

"And just what do ye think yer doing, Xanatos?" Hudson questioned.

"Offering my assistance…" He made the statement as if it should be painfully obvious what he was doing. 

"I think we've had more than our fair share of your help Xanatos…" Brooklyn replied stiffly.

"Wait a sec…" Matt put a restraining hand on the burgundy gargoyle's arm, "Fox put a tracker in Elisa's jacket… the only receiver for it is in Xanatos' armor…"

The others stood in stunned silence but Xanatos simply shrugged off the accusing stares, "Old habits die hard…" 

"You just couldn't resist could you?" Broadway shook his head in disbelief and took a step his direction, "You know it might have been nice if you had thought to mention that little piece of information sooner."

"We can debate the issue later…" Xanatos gave the group a smug expression, "Right now we need to find Goliath and Elisa." 

Brooklyn nodded in agreement then turned to his youngest rookery brother, "Lex set up the radio receivers as quick as you can.." He turned to back to Matt, "I have a feeling we're gonna need them tonight."

"That would be an understatement." Matt muttered and handed the folder to Lexington, "Log back into the Quarrymen database… while you're at it tap into the phone lines at the 23rd as well…"

Lexington had anticipated the request to go back into the Quarrymen Database and was half way in when the second request sunk in, "The phone lines?"

"Trust me on this one…" Matt replied abruptly then turned to walk outside, "Give me a sec… I gotta make a call…"

Lexington scratched his head curiously and then looked to the others, "I understand why Matt would want me to go back into the systems, but why am I tapping the phone lines at the 23rd too?"

"I have no idea..." Brooklyn turned to face Xanatos, "I don't suppose you have any idea why do you?"

Xanatos ignored the question and casually walked over while slipping his helmet on and picked up Bronx. The gargoyle dog yipped in surprise and began writhing in his armor-clad grasp. Xanatos then turned to Brooklyn, his voice slightly distorted by the voice emitter, "We'll make better time if I carry him."

Brooklyn took a deep breath and walked out of the Great Hall towards the ledge of the castle. Matt quickly ended his call just as they walked out. From the look on their faces Matt knew he was going to be leaving the castle from the roof as opposed to the elevator. He gave Brooklyn a pensive expression, "Ya know… I can drive just as easily…"

Brooklyn gave him a lopsided smile, "Sorry, I promise this will be a bit smoother than your last flight." He glanced over his shoulder as he hopped up on a battle mount, "Hudson, you stay here with Lex… Angela you're with us… Broadway, you'll carry Matt with me."

Xanatos stood by with Bronx still tucked under one armored arm. Brooklyn still didn't feel comfortable with his role of leadership in Goliath's absence and looked to Hudson briefly, waiting to see what his reaction would be. The elder gargoyle merely shrugged indicating that it was his call but he grunted softly and glared at Xanatos, "Just don't ye be drop him…" 

The rest of the Clan leaped from the rook and glided off. Xanatos looked down at the blue dog beast that still writhed in his embrace, "Chew through one line and we both drop." 

Bronx grumbled softly but stopped gnawing on the armor suit and resigned to be carried by the former enemy. Xanatos smiled behind his mask and stepped to the edge and followed behind the others into the night.

***** ***** *****

It took all Elisa strength and the implied threat using the taser to convince Demona that killing Jenkins would be the worst possible course of action at the moment. They were in the mist of the debate when she felt a muted but welcoming presence moving in their direction.

"Goliath!" she called out, "I'm down here!"

A moment later Goliath appeared in the doorway and upon seeing Elisa standing between Demona and the unconscious man went on the attack. Having no idea what had transpired during the day, he crouched down and leaped at his former second in command. He roared out in rage and his eyes burned brightly.

"Fool!" Demona immediately sidestepped the attack and turned to sprint for the concealed entrance Jenkins had used earlier to gain access to the room. Goliath started to follow but she had vanished in the darkness and he knew better than to follow an enemy into unfamiliar terrain. Besides, he another concern which was far more pressing at the moment.

"My Love…" he walked over and pulled Elisa to him, "I feared the worst when I awoke and saw you were gone…"

"Sorry Big Guy." Elisa smiled and returned the embrace, "At the time it seemed like a good idea…"

As badly as she might have wanted to remain in Goliath's embrace, Elisa knew they didn't have the time. She withdrew from his arms and moved back towards Jenkins, who was still lying on the floor. She noted his chest was rising and falling at a semi-steady rate indicating he was alive but unconscious. 

Goliath noted the way his beloved was looking at the man and moved to stand by her side, "Demona… she was going to kill this man…" 

"Yeah, you showed up just in time. From the way she reacted to him I have a feeling he's one of the people who attacked us in the park last night…" Elisa crouched by the man's side and looked him over, "I ran into him at the 23rd a few nights ago…"

"He is a police officer?" Goliath questioned.

"Not hardly. He was a temp hired to help out but I imagine his real job was feeding information to Canmore…" Elisa started rummaging around in Jenkins pockets hoping to find something else to aid them in their escape. 

The search disclosed two Quarrymen pendants, several business cards, and what appeared to be a tie tack, but nothing else. She placed the items in the front pockets of her blue jeans and exhaled deeply as she stood up, "In the mean time, we can't very well leave him down here…"

"Agreed." Goliath concurred, "It would be best is we secured him in one of the cells above…" 

He bent over and picked up the man's limp body as Elisa walked over to where she kicked the 38 revolver earlier. She picked it up and tucked it into the back of her pants and turned to walk out of the room. The pair slowly made their was back up the stairs and walked back down the corridor to the cells where they had once been held. 

"Put him in the cell with the other one," Elisa instructed while retrieving her bomber jacket from the floor where she left it, "With any luck no one will miss him either. Of course with Demona running around it won't take…" 

Elisa stopped speaking when Goliath stepped back into the corridor between the cells. She was now able to look directly into the cell and by all accounts there should have been two unconscious men lying on the floor. 

But there wasn't. 

"Where's the other one?" She demanded.

"What do you mean?" Goliath inquired, "What other one?"

"Aw hell…" Elisa groaned and rubbed her face in frustration, "He's gone…"

"Who is?" Goliath questioned.

She quickly shrugged into her bomber jacket and hastily zipped it up, "It's a fair bet the Hunter knows we're not locked up anymore…"

Elisa halted briefly as if to collect her thoughts. Slipping a slender hand into the front pocket of her jeans, she retrieved the items she had taken from Jenkins moments before. She immediately transferred the pendants to the pocket of her jacket while reading the names on the business cards. She felt her anger beginning to boil over and then closely scrutinized the tie tack. 

When she first saw the insignia, the symbol seemed familiar but she hadn't taken the time to think about it. Now that she took the time to examine the crest, it was indeed recognizable.

She also understood it wasn't a tie tack that she held in her hand.

It was a lapel pin.

With the final piece of the puzzle firmly set in her mind, Elisa abruptly tried to shove past Goliath, "I think Jon Canmore is in more danger than he realizes and not just from Demona…"

"Elisa…" Goliath allowed his wings to fully spread, effectively preventing her from moving down the passageway ahead of him, "What do you mean?"

Elisa didn't have the chance to offer any further explanation but by that time it was no longer necessary. From the floor above, came the barely audible the sounds of men yelling and a split second later the reverberation of an alarm cried throughout the building. 

***** ***** *****

It didn't take long for Matt and the rest of the Clan to reach the building where the tracker indicated Elisa and Goliath would be. The group landed one the adjacent building and Matt looked out of the scene.

"This is not good…" he muttered weakly.

Xanatos set Bronx down on the ground and moved to the ledge to examine the building through his helmet. With the enhanced visual scanners he was able to examine the building in a way the others could not. 

"I'm picking up high levels of ionized particles…"

Matt leaned forward and rubbed a weary hand over the growing stubble on his face, "I imagine it's a security precaution or at the very least a perimeter alarm." 

Xanatos smiled behind his mask and glanced over to the man beside him, "Just like old times eh Bluestone?"

Matt felt his anger flare, "Shut up Xanatos! You say another word and I swear I'll rip your head off with that stupid helmet!"

Broadway stepped between them and turned to the blond detective, "What's he talking about Matt?"

Matt pointed to the building in front of them, thinking about the irony of the situation, "That's the Hotel Cabal…"

The heavy set gargoyles spun around abruptly, scarcely believing what he just heard, "This is where you brought Goliath that night?!"

"Yeah, it was rigged with booby traps back then…" Matt replied softly, "I'm really hoping that's not the case this time…"

"Well if it is, then how do we get in?" Angela asked with uncertainty. She knew there was still an extensive amount of Clan history that no one, including her father, had bothered to tell her about.

Brooklyn however did know the story and he hoped the situation wasn't about to unfold into a replay of Goliath's first visit to the Hotel Cabal. "Do you still have the key?" 

Before Matt could respond Xanatos interjected, "The ionized particles I was picking up before are increasing…"

The group turned to the armor clad man but before anyone had a chance to question him further, there was a muffled explosion which came from inside from the Hotel Cabal. 

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



	15. The Beginning of the End

The Beginning of the End

By Shadow Runner

[Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com][1]

You know the drill… Disney owns them, not me… no money… don't sue… blah, blah, blah….

Part 15 in the series

Well I know it's been a long time coming and now that I have my second wind, I'm back at it. 

Hope you like and happy reading. J

***** ***** *****

Detective Matt Bluestone was doing his best to keep up with Bronx but it wasn't easy given the cramped conditions in the hallway. Through his headset, Matt could hear the heavy breathing of the others as they made their way further into the building. Brooklyn followed closely behind with Angela and Broadway while Xanatos brought up the rear. 

The building shook again causing dust to rain down into Matt's eyes. He rested a hand on Bronx's hindquarters hoping the dog-beast would understand that he needed him to stop without having to voice the command. Bronx did stop but it was clear from his soft growl that he wasn't happy about it. 

"We've stopped…" Brooklyn uttered softly, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…I hope…" Matt smiled sheepishly, hoping the white-haired gargoyle could see him better then he could. Matt wiped his brow with the sleeve of his jacket and whispered into the transmitter of his headset, "Ok Lex, talk to me…"

Lexington's voice came faintly through everyone's headsets, "Are you OK?"

"Yeah…" Matt responded softly, "But we could use a little help here…"

"OK…" Lexington replied, "Hold your position… we're gonna have to research this…"

Matt nodded to Brooklyn who in turn motioned to the others to stand by. It was not entirely necessary since all of them heard Matt's conversation but Brooklyn felt it was better than saying nothing. Matt for his part, leaned against the wall to collect his thoughts for a moment. 

As soon as they heard the muffled explosion, the entire group took flight and landed on the roof of the Hotel Cabal. It took about two seconds for Brooklyn and Broadway to rip the fire door off its hinges and when no alarm sounded, it occurred to Matt that they might have a new set of problems. 

Sure he'd been in the building before but if the place was still booby-trapped this rescue attempt would be a complete failure and they might end up needing rescuing too. Xanatos had used the private frequency in his headset to contact Owen Burnett and between the blond-headed man and Lexington, the two of them were able to obtain at least a partial record of the hotel. As luck would have it the Illuminati had renovated the building not long after Goliath's escape, but for some reason they abandoned it. The contractor who completed the work, filed the plans in city hall when it was announced that the building was up for public auction.

As near as Owen and Lexington were able to determine, part of the renovations had included removing the booby traps and Matt to wonder if this had been done in order to get Mace Malone out of the building.

Absently he wondered if the man was found alive. 

Matt pushed the thought aside and wiped the sweat from his brow again. He placed his hand over the speaker of his headset and whispered to Xanatos, "If they don't find something soon…"

Xanatos' voice was slightly distorted coming from behind the mask, "We may have to take our chances…"

Matt's response was lost as Broadway's voice sounded through everyone's headset, "Come on Lex…" he muttered under his breath, "I could draw a map faster than this…"

Just as Broadway finished speaking Angela gave him a harp jab to the ribs but apparently Lexington overheard the comment and took great offence to it, "Oh yeah? Well who's gonna read it to you?"

Before the argument could escalate, Brooklyn chastised both his rookery brothers and once again the hallway was quiet but the silence was beginning to get to Matt and he found himself again thinking of his first trip into the Hotel Cabal. 

He very nearly died in this building and in fact he would have had it not been for Goliath.

Goliath had saved his life that night and Matt wanted to be able to repay that particular debt.

Lexington's voice cut through the silence, "OK… you should be clear all the way down…"

"Are you sure?" Matt questioned.

"No…" Lexington paused, "But Owen said it's the best we can do under the circumstances…" 

"Then that will have to be good enough." Brooklyn interjected as another series shocks vibrated the building. He moved past Matt and crouched down beside Bronx. Taking the dog-beasts head in his talons, he gave him an abrupt rub on the head, "Ok boy, do what you do best… Find Goliath and Elisa…"

Brooklyn turned him loose and the gargoyle dog took off running with the others close behind him.

***** ***** *****

Elisa was off her feet and for the second time in as many days found herself flat on her back. In a split second, Goliath was by her side, brushing dust and debris from his mate while trying to protect her from further injury. "Are you alright Elisa?" he questioned.

"I think so," She replied with uncertainty, "What the hell was that?"

"Something has happened above us…" Goliath looked around the room for any other possible threats. The lights over head flickered intermittently but there appeared to be little danger of the ceiling collapsing down on them. "No doubt Demona's handy work…" 

Elisa allowed Goliath to assist her in standing, "We're gonna have to hurry before she has chance to do anything else…"

The pair started back down the corridor but Goliath stopped abruptly and moved back down the hall. He stared into the cell where he had deposited Allen Jenkins moments before. The man moaned softly and opened his eyes but made no effort to stand up. The lavender gargoyle appraised the one time captor then glanced over his shoulder to Elisa, "We cannot leave him here…"

"Why not?" Elisa challenged.

Goliath inclined his head slightly, understanding the hostility she was expressing was not her own, but rather it was a result of her unexpected connection to Demona. "Elisa…" He began slowly.

"I know… I know…" Elisa sighed heavily understanding her mate's concern and knowing it wasn't without merit. If something else were to happen, Jenkins might very well become trapped in the cell and neither of them wanted a death attributed to the Clan. On the other hand, and given a choice, Elisa would have left the man locked in the cell. At least she'd know where to find him later.

Provided there was a later.

She ran her hands through her hair and glanced towards the exit, "The thing is I really don't want him coming with us…"

"Then what do you suggest?" Goliath questioned.

"Here…" Elisa tossed the key to the cell over to the lavender gargoyle and he caught it in mid air. 

Goliath slowly inserted it into the lock. Jenkins said nothing but he kept his eyes locked on the gargoyle until he the soft but audible click of the lock disengaging. He started to rise to his feet but stopped when Goliath grumbled softly.

"No… Once we are gone you are free to leave…" Goliath slipped the key into the waistband of his loincloth and followed Elisa out of the room. 

Jenkins made no movement but his eyes followed the pair until they were out of his sight. He rose to his feet and walked to the cell door and pressed on the bars until the door swung open. He stepped out into the corridor and considered his next move. He noticed one of the taser poles lying on the ground and walked over to pick it up. It felt warm in his grasp and it gave him a small measure of comfort.

Carefully he moved down the passageway, half expecting the beast to be waiting on him. When no attack came he increased his pace. He rubbed his hand over his thigh and noted he could feel the welt forming where the taser had been used on him earlier. He felt no pain from the encounter and even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered. 

Pain was irrelevant to him and it was only a matter of time before one of the others found the beast and the woman in the building. Once that happened everything would be as it should have been all along.

Nothing mattered excepting getting everything prepared for the final ceremony.

And this time, nothing was going to be left to chance and no one was going to stand in their way.

No one.

***** ***** *****

Jon Castaway was jolted awake from his drug-induced sleep by the sound of thunder. For a brief instant he had no idea where he was but a quick survey of the dim room told him he was still safely tucked away inside the Hotel Cabal. 

But something was wrong. He'd left explicit instructions for Jenkins to wake him before dark and Jon could feel without having to look that it was well after dark. Outside the door to his 'office' he could hear men speaking in hushed tones, desperately trying to be quiet but failing miserably. Jon rose from his cot and made his way over to the door to see what was going on.

He winced as a twinge of pain shot across his back and shoulders. Absently, he reached back and gently touched his left shoulder. The thick bandage served as a vivid reminder that there was still a debt to repay but the bleeding had stopped and that was a good thing. Despite having lost a great deal of blood earlier, the damage appeared to be finally under control and he ultimately decided to leave the dressing alone. It took nearly three hours to sew up the gashes and it would do no good for him to open the wound now. If he were to do that, it could mean a trip to the hospital.

And that was not an option.

Not when he was this close to exacting vengeance on those who had torn his world apart. For more than a year, the gargoyles very existence served as a constant reminder of a life, not to mention family, lost to him an eternity ago. 

No… not lost. Stolen from him.

Images of his family came to him, assaulting him with a fury laced with guilt. In his mind he could see his brother and sister rotting away in a jail they never should have been sent to in the first place. 

Robyn was there as a victim of circumstance, but Jason… Jason was there by choice. 

The wrong choice in Jon's opinion. 

__

Soon my Brother, he thought to himself, _soon I will show you how wrong you were… _

He was pulled from his thoughts when the door to his private office opened unexpectedly, "Mr. Castaway? Are you awake?"

"What is it?" Jon demanded.

"I'm sorry to bother you Sir," The young man cautiously entered the room, then paused to glance back out to the hallway before speaking again, "We have a situation out here…" 

Jon recognized the man as Troy Green, one of the lower members of the Quarrymen, "What's the problem?" he questioned roughly.

Green looked down at the floor nervously and tugged at the Quarrymen pendant that hung around his neck, "I don't know if I can explain…"

"Well I think you'd better try for your sake…" Jon paused and felt a wave of apprehension at hearing additional voices in the hall. These were not the hushed voices he'd heard earlier; these were the voices of men about to become panicked. 

He shoved past the young man when he got no further response. He ignored the throbbing ache that racked his body at the sudden movement. It all but disappeared when he saw two men dragging a third, who was barely conscious and half-dressed down the hall. 

The man was alert but unable to walk on his own and Jon identified him as Richard Mendez, the man who was supposed to be pulling security for the confinement room. 

A confinement room which was supposed to be holding two gargoyles and one New York City Police detective.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Jon demanded, "What in God's name is this man doing up here?!"

"I'm not sure…" Troy Green immediately stepped up to help the other men, "We found him downstairs trying to crawl back up here. I was just about to send someone down when the lights went out…" 

Jon slammed his fist into the wall, causing a crack to appear in the drywall, "Where in the hell is Mr. Jenkins?!"

"I been looking for him for the better part of an hour, Mr. Castaway…" Green's voice was strained under the weight of the semi-conscious man, "I've asked everyone but nobody's seen him since…"

"Fuck!" Jon kicked the doorjamb of his office in frustration causing the entire building to shake. It would have been humorous were it not so disturbing. He cocked his head curiously and considered kicking the wall again just to see if the same thing would happen. He didn't need to try the experiment as the building shook for a second time, this time causing plaster fragments to rain down on them. A split second later the emergency lighting illuminated the hall, causing ghostly shadows to appear across the walls. 

"What the…?" Troy questioned.

"Someone cut the power…" Jon replied softly under his breath. The hallway was silent, save for the sounds of men breathing, yet none of them dared speak. Jon clinched his fist in anger and turned to several men standing nearby, "You have ten seconds to find every weapon you can…"

He walked back into his office and rummaged through his makeshift desk until he found what he was looking for. The silk Hunter's mask brought him a small degree of comfort as he tucked it inside his shirt and turned to leave. When he returned to the hallway, the two men he'd dispatched before stood in front of him looking like they were ready to go to war. In a sense they were, but he was more disturbed to see that most of the men were also standing around waiting for orders. 

"What the hell are you all waiting for?" He demanded while taking a compact pistol from one of the men, "You know the drill. Grab everything you can and evacuate the building. We meet at the alternate site in three days."

"Mr. Castaway," Green asked cautiously, "What should I tell Mr. Jenkins when he returns?"

Without warning Jon turned and slammed Troy into the hall, holding him against the wall with his arm. Beads of sweat formed on Jon's upper lip as he increased the pressure on the young man's neck and when he spoke again it was in a low whisper, spiked with resentment. "Who are you loyal to Mr. Green?"

"To you…" the man gasped, "to the Quarrymen…"

"Fine," Jon looked to the rest of the men standing in the hallway, "If any of you find Mr. Jenkins in this building… kill him."

Jon knew from the expression on the men's faces that they had no idea why this ruthless order was being issued so Jon paused to collect his thoughts before continuing. "It's not possible to cut the power to this facility unless you do it from the inside and only one other person besides myself knows how to do it…" 

The other men murmured softly amongst themselves and began to move to their assigned locations. Jon Castaway released his grip on Green who immediately began rubbing his throat, not quite trusting himself to speak. When he finally found his voice, it was hushed and raspy, "Mr. Castaway… What about the prisoners?"

The question seemed to distract Jon for a moment, "What about them?"

"Shouldn't someone go down and check on them?"

Jon almost laughed as he took a step closer to the man, "Do you really think they're still down there Mr. Green?"

Troy took a step back in reflex, "Well… Yes Sir…" he stammered, "With the power out, there would be no way for them to…" 

"Then you are as stupid as you look…" Jon snorted and turned to move down the hall with two heavily men armed men following closely behind him, "Believe me when I tell you, you won't find them down there. In fact, I'd hazard to guess they're going to try and find us first…"

***** ***** *****

Demona moved quickly through the halls wishing for the moment that she had opted for the stairs rather than the concealed entrance the man with the gun had used earlier. It would have been easy enough to go back but that would mean possibly running into Goliath and that was one situation she planned to avoid at all costs.

If nothing else Demona needed to distance herself from him. The feeling and emotions she picked up from Goliath for the human woman were almost as painful as the curse the Puck placed on her. 

Demona shook her head violently as another series of images burst into her mind. She took no time to sort them out as they no longer held any significance for her. There had been a time when she hoped, even prayed that Goliath had somehow completed the Bonding with her, but the events of the previous night confirmed what she feared and suspected for some time. 

What she was feeling was Goliath's love for Elisa Maza. 

After this painful realization her hatred had grown and as luck would have it, the emotions were picked up by the human woman. Granted it made her feel better to know they caused her pain but it was an insult to an injury already received from a most ungracious opponent. 

Demona knew Avalon's magic came with a price but until last night she hadn't realized was how high the price was for trying to use the Puck as a means to destroy the humans. Puck cursing her with humanity turned out to be a curse within a curse. 

From the beginning Demona knew she was human during the day because of Elisa Maza; it was the only rational that made sense. Her teachings from the Grimorum Arcanorum told her that non-humans could not become human without a human giving up a part of themselves.

But when you give… you must also take.

Puck had used Avalon's magic to transfer the essence of humanity from Elisa to Demona but during the process, he had given a part of Demona to Elisa. 

Whether he had done so intentionally, Puck gave Elisa her link to Goliath. 

Demona suspected the Puck did know and it enraged her all the more. She forced the thoughts from he mind as she made her way down yet another passageway. She had yet to encounter anyone but she could hear people moving around on the floors above. 

They were looking for them and from the sounds of their voices they were scared.

__

As well they should be, she thought to herself._ Tonight I will show you my wrath and no one will be safe… _

She considered crashing through the wall and killing them where they stood but that was just not going to happen. For the first time in her life, she was willing to allow the humans a few precious minute of life but only because it served her purposes. For the moment escape was her first priority and she needed to do it quickly. 

Once she was free of the building she planned to return with enough firepower to blow the structure and with any luck the Hunter off the face of the planet.

And if Goliath and his precious human were still in the building when she returned… so be it.

***** ***** *****

They moved through the building at nearly breakneck speed and Matt wished he'd taken the time to slip out of his trench coat but there was no time for that now. Bronx was scratching at yet another fire door so Matt stepped to the side and allowed Broadway to pull the door back. The barrel chested gargoyle had just opened the door when Matt heard the sounds of someone moving in their direction. He was about to suggest they hold back when Bronx took off like a shot. 

"Broadway! Grab em'!" Matt yelled out as he reached for the dog-beast but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, Bronx was down the stairs and a split second later they all heard men yelling. 

"So much for our surprise entrance…" Brooklyn muttered as he bolted past Matt. 

He took the stairs two at a time, shocked at the distance Bronx had managed to cover in such a short period of time. When he finally caught up to him, the dog was growling at two men who were standing in the corner of the landing. Brooklyn smiled, noting that Bronx had positioned himself between the stairs and the exit effectively cutting off any chance at escape. But the smile faded when he saw that both men were heavily armed. Neither had pulled a weapon but it was clear they had not expected to become trapped in such a place. 

Desperate men sometimes take desperate measures and Brooklyn had no desire to fight either of these men. But Elisa and Goliath's lives might be at stake and the longer they stood there, the better the chance someone else might show up in the hall. His eyes flashed white as he stepped closer to the men, "Where are they?" 

"To hell with you…" one of the men seethed, "You're a fucking animal…"

"Wrong answer pal… You two are in a world of hurt right now, so I think it might be best if you play nice…" Matt voiced softly. 

Brooklyn hadn't heard the detective arrive but he was relieved to have the company. Matt smiled a humorless grin and moved to position himself between the gargoyle and the now captive men, "Let's start small. Drop the guns…"

For a moment no one spoke and Brooklyn feared the men might actually be foolish enough to think they could fight their way out of the stairwell. He felt the others arrive and thankfully that was all the inspiration the men to come to their senses. Both men pulled the pistols from their belts and dropped them to the floor.

"Good… that means your smart enough to know better…" Matt's smile faded, "Now how 'bout we answer that original question. Where are they?" 

"Down stairs…" one of the men replied. "But you're never gonna find them…"

"Yes we will, because you're gonna help us aren't you. See that's what civilized people do; they help each other." Matt replied lightly. 

One of the men cleared his throat and spat in his direction forcing Matt to step back to avoid having the glob land on his shoes, "So much for being civilized…"

"What now?" Angela questioned, "If they don't help…"

Xanatos cut her off before she could complete the statement, "I have the tracker locked in… They're here… not to far away I'm guessing…"

"OK, let's get this over with..." Matt took a step forward and pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his coat pocket, "both of you strip down to your skivvies…"

***** ***** *****

Lexington sat in the Great Hall with Owen who was going over blueprints while he was monitoring the computers and the Clan's progress at the same time. He could hear the others speaking though their headsets and for the hundredth time, he wished he could be there to help them. But he had a job to do and this was where he was most needed. He had a responsibility to the others and he knew in his heart the others would not fail their sworn duty to bring the missing Clan members' home. 

He was about to make a comment to Owen when he noticed activity in the Quarrymen database. He quickly checked the Nightstone Unlimited site but found no activity, which meant the Quarrymen site was being activated from an outside link, "Hey Owen… Look at this…"

The blond-headed man walked over and adjusted his glasses. He reached past the young gargoyle and pressed several keys, "It would appear someone is accessing the database…"

"That's what I was thinking too but they shouldn't be able to do what they're doing…" Lexington elbowed his way back to the keyboard and initiated a series of programs, "Ok, here's the intruder…" 

Owen nodded, "That is a remote access code…"

"Someone must have put a back door in the system…" Lexington's talons flew over the keyboard and waited to see the results of his trace. When the Internet addresses came back, he nearly fell out of his chair, "Oh no…"

Owen barely nodded, "Can you stop it?"

"Maybe… But I'm gonna need some time…" Lexington pulled his brow together, "Can you run a by-pass relay from my computer to the Eyrie's mainframe?"

"Of course," Owen considered the request, "But it will take a significant amount of time…"

Lexington was listening with half a ear, "How much time?"

"Approximately thirty minutes…"

The green gargoyle snorted, "Any chance you can do it in under a minute?" 

***** ***** *****

Elisa and Goliath quickly ducked into an abandoned office and Elisa secured the door behind them. Seconds later several men ran past without bothering to check the door. She waited till the voices faded before speaking, "This is ridiculous… even if we get out of the building, I'm still going have to come back to get Canmore…" 

Goliath quickly surveyed the room hoping for a means of escape but found none. His voice was low and haunting when he finally spoke, "You found him once… you will find him again…"

"No." She shook her head adamantly and moved back towards the door, "It's gonna have to be tonight…" 

Goliath placed a halting talon on her shoulder, "Elisa… there is a rage building within you… I can feel it and it concerns me greatly…"

"I know," She whispered. "But I don't know what we can do about it right now…"

"We must get you to safety…" he pressed.

"Not yet. Demona is going after the Hunter. We have to stop that from happening…" 

"Why?"

"Because she knows who the killers are."

"Then would it not be smarter for her to escape?" Goliath countered. 

"Sure, to a logical person, but she hardly fits that bill." Elisa sighed and moved to the door but pulled back abruptly when she heard voices coming down the hall. She moved back to Goliath's side and the pair waited for the hall to clear again, "Besides I'm pretty sure she's not gonna be able to get out of the building…"

Goliath moved closer to Elisa, "What do you mean?"

"The Quarrymen Killers are some of Jon's own people…"

Goliath scratched his held absently, a habit he'd picked up from Brooklyn some time ago, "How do you know this?" he whispered.

"Because of this." She pulled the pin out of her jacket pocket and handed it to him, "Look familiar?"

Goliath gazed at the pin for a long time, "Where did you get this?"

"I found it in Jenkins pockets along with a few other things."

"I know this symbol…" He handed the pin back to Elisa, "It is the mark of the Illuminati…"

"That's what I thought…" Elisa rubbed her eyes then reached around to the small of her back to verify the snub-nosed 38 was still there. She pulled it out and checked the cylinder before tucking it back into the waistband of her jeans, "This whole mess just keeps getting better…"

Goliath watched his mate with careful scrutiny. He could feel her anger and frustration but the emotions were muted and distant. Normally this would have alarmed him but he was becoming more accustom to Elisa closing herself off to him when she was trying to think. He waited until she was focused back on him before speaking, "So you believe the Illuminati are working with the Quarrymen?"

"No and I doubt Jon's a member because Matt would have known and I'm pretty sure he would have told me." Elisa shook her head and tucked the pin back into her pocket, "In fact, I'd be willing to bet that Jon doesn't have the first clue that the Illuminati have infiltrated the Quarrymen…" 

"Why would they do this?" Goliath questioned. Elisa said nothing, opting to allow Goliath to come to his own conclusion. An expression of understanding quickly came over his face, "They used the Quarrymen as a means to capture a gargoyle…"

"Exactly. They knew about Jon's vendetta and used it to their advantage." Elisa rose, walked to the door and opened it. She carefully checked the corridor and motioned for Goliath to join her. She paused and glanced back to the dark shadow behind her, "That's why we need to find Jon tonight…"

"No Elisa…" Goliath warned, "The risks are too great. We will go and find…"

"Don't you get it Goliath? I'm still tied into Demona..." Elisa moved further down the hall and away from the relative safety of the abandoned office, "When we find Jon, Demona will most likely try to find me. We have to get the two of them together in order to figure out exactly who the killers are… and we gotta do it before the rest of the Clan comes looking for us. If we don't get this done tonight it might be too late." 

Despite his objection moments before, Goliath found himself agreeing with Elisa but he had no idea why. When they reached another abandoned office, he pulled her into it and closed the door behind them. He had been hoping to find a room with windows but once again that was not the case. He pressed her against the wall and looked deep into her eyes. "Too late for what?"

Elisa paused long enough to collect her thoughts, "Jenkins barely batted an eye when Demona underwent her transformation which means he knew about it already. The only way he could have known about Demona would be if Jon Canmore told him. If all the Illuminati wanted was a gargoyle, they could have picked Demona up a long time ago. There would have been no reason for them to go after the Quarrymen."

"But they did…" Goliath replied slowly.

"Jenkins was more than willing to shoot Demona tonight which means the Illuminati didn't want her; not as a gargoyle and certainly not as a human." The expression on Goliath's face told Elisa that he still didn't understand what was going on, which was understandable because she didn't understand it herself until just now. "Goliath, this has been a set up from the word go." 

"Meaning?" Goliath prompted.

"The Illuminati and the Quarrymen both want a gargoyle but for very different reasons. The Illuminati figure the Quarrymen have a better chance of pulling it off so they infiltrated the group. When it didn't happen fast enough they took measures into their own hands and started killing off Quarrymen…"

"Thus bringing in the police…" Goliath continued, "and the commander of the Gargoyle Task Force…"

"Not to mention his partner who's been seen by about half the city in the company of Gargoyles… By pulling me into the situation, they were almost assured that you would make your presence known at some point…" 

Goliath nodded in understanding and moved to open the door. He knew Elisa was right and that it was best to deal with the situation now rather than later, "Come. We must find the Hunter…" 

He was about leave the room when Elisa placed a cautious hand on his forearm, "Goliath, wait a sec… I just thought of something else… What if the Illuminati wanted a specific gargoyle?"

Goliath was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Well, what if they wanted to get you all along?"

***** ***** *****

Captain Maria Chavez sat quietly at her desk, drumming a pencil on the top of her phone. She had spoken to Detective Bluestone nearly an hour ago and he implied he knew where Detective Maza was. He claimed she was alive but refused to tell her where and as Chavez expected Bluestone declined her assistance stating that he would call if he needed backup. 

Once again Bluestone told her to trust him and against her better judgment, she had. Ultimately, she felt no better about the phone call and in the back of her mind she had to wonder if Matt would actually call if he ran into problems. All things considered it was only one item of a list of concerns that continued to grow at an alarming rate.

She picked up Allen Jenkins' employment file and glanced through it. There were time cards, a letter of recommendation from Mayor Anderson, and an address card but nothing else. Captain Chavez noted no employment or criminal history checks completed either. She figured it was probably a result of having the letter from Mayor Anderson but that was no excuse. 

As soon as she walked in the 23rd Precinct, Officer Morgan handed her over a dozen messages from Commissioner Stanton and twice that number from Mayor Anderson demanding an update. She had no intention of calling the Mayor but she toyed with the idea of at least placing a courtesy call to the Commissioner. Eventually she decided against it, as it would only lead to questions she was in no position to answer. Rising from her desk, she walked into the main area of the station to refill her coffee cup. If nothing else a quick walk through the building would serve as a distraction.

The station was quiet but Chavez knew once the nightshift got into full swing, things would pick up. Several detectives nodded to her but no one bothered approaching her. Nearly everyone had seen her in this type of mood before, and those who hadn't, had been forewarned. It was well known within the 23rd that it was usually best to give the Captain a wide birth under these circumstances and no one wanted to be the unwitting recipient of an ass-chewing intended for someone else. 

Namely Detectives Maza and Bluestone, who were, as usual, conspicuously absent.

Captain Chavez filled her cup and turned to make her way back to her office. On an impulse she paused at Detective Maza's desk and sat down. She glanced over the desktop, looking for some indication of order but found none and Bluestone's was no better. Both desks were in a state of disarray covered with documents, phone messages and other assorted clutter but the look was deceiving. Like most detectives, they had their own system for file management and Chavez knew she could ask either of them for just about anything and they would know exactly where to find it.

Provided they ever came back.

Captain Chavez pushed the thought aside and on a whim, began pulling open desk drawers. She began going through the contents of Elisa's desk without being entirely certain what it was that she was searching for. It was the first time she'd ever bothered to look through the detective's desks and it was a slightly unnerving experience. When Elisa disappeared almost a year ago she hadn't bothered to check it then and Chavez wondered what possessed her to do so now. After rummaging around for several minutes, she heard a soft cough from behind her. 

Looking up she noticed Officer Morgan was standing beside her with a bemused smile on his face, "You'd better be careful Captain. There's no telling what she's got hidden away in there…"

"It wouldn't surprise me if we found Jimmy Hoffa in this desk…" Captain Chavez smiled when she opened a top drawer and pulled out what looked like a tightly bound rubber ball, "Well, I now know where all the rubber bands in this Precinct have gone…"

She shut the drawer and opened the one directly below it. Inside she found more clutter but oddly enough she found two radio communications systems with separate chargers and two additional headsets. Chavez knew some of the officers used such items for surveillance and other operational activities, but what made these unique was the fact they were not standard police issue. 

Curiously, she pulled them out and flipped them over in her hand. She pressed a button on one of the radios and it came to life. She listened for a moment but heard only intermittent static so she turned it off. Absently, she set them on the top of Elisa's desk and glanced over her shoulder, "Do you know where Elisa got these?"

Morgan was about to reply when the entire office area came alive with voices. Throughout out the building, desk clerks and police officers began yelling into phones while detectives and booking sergeants slapped the sides of their desktop computers.

"God damn it…"

"Who just killed my computer…?" 

"Hey, my phone is dead…"

Ever since the reconstruction of the station, these kind of complaints were common but neither Captain Chavez or Officer Morgan could recall hearing them all at the same time. Chavez gave Morgan a perplexed look, but he merely shrugged as the to of them made their way over to the command section. 

The sergeant on duty was yelling into a cellular phone but from the sound of it, either the signal was breaking up or the person on the other end was being of little help. Morgan tapped the man on the shoulder to get his attention, "What's going on Davidson? Did the city forget to pay our phone bill?"

Sergeant Davidson spun around with a retort poised on his lips but held it back after noticing Captain Chavez standing there with the officer, "I dunno Morgan… I just took a call about a power outage on the lower east side… I try to dispatch a patrol and wham-o. The next thing I know the computer and phone line shut down…"

"Maybe it's a power surge…" Morgan cocked his head slightly, "Call the network administrator and ask him if…" 

Sergeant Davidson cut him off with a shake of his head, "No, the systems guys just called me over the intercom wanting to know what happened…"

"Well, until the Network comes back up, we'll use the radios…" Chavez replied, "At least that way we still have a way to reach the streets…"

"I don't think that's gonna work either…" Morgan replied, "When the city did the upgrades, everything was tied into the main server for the department…"

Chavez rubbed her head in disbelief, "Do you mean to tell me the computers, phones, LAN systems, and all the hook ups to the patrol cars are fed by the Server?"

"Looks that way…" Davidson interjected, "If they're down we're down…"

"Christ…" Captain Chavez could scarcely believe what she was hearing, "So what you telling me is that the entire New York Police Department is tied into one computer system…" 

"No," Morgan countered, "Each department was set up separately but they all have a central server that feeds into the mainframe…" Mogan scratched his head, "The thing is, the system was supposed to have built in safeties so this kind of thing didn't happen… "

"Well, we picked a wonderful time to find out where the system is lacking…" Captain Chavez reached over to took the cellular phone from Davidson and turned to the other officers who were all gathered round. 

"Listen up people, we may have a serious problem on our hands. Anyone in the middle of booking a suspect put them in a holding cell for the time being. Anyone not processed in the computer can transferred to Central until we get a handle on this. Sergeant Davidson will make the arraignments for transport."

"In the mean time, someone go down to network administrator's office and tell them I want this problem fixed ASAP. If they ask, tell them yes, I'm well aware of what time it is and no I don't care who they have to call in to fix it."

"Morgan, find a cell phone and call the 48th Precinct to make sure they're up since hopefully this is a local problem. If they are, let them what's going on here and tell them know they're gonna have to field our incoming calls as well as patrols for a while… We also need to shut down all the computers. I don't want to overload the system when the juice comes back up. That's all people… let's get busy."

She paused for a moment as the men and women of the 23rd Precinct carried out her instructions. Most of the officers were in the process of shutting down unoccupied computers and more than a few of the rookies were huddled closely with the more experienced officers getting a crash course on how to fill out the manual booking forms. 

The entire group seemed to be doing well under the circumstances but it wouldn't last if the systems didn't come back up soon. Captain Chavez glanced at her watch and noted it was just after midnight. 

Chavez groaned and rubbed a sleek hand over her auburn hair. No matter what the outcome of their system failure, someone outside the department needed to know what was going at the 23rd. She flipped open the cell phone and was about to call Commissioner Stanton at his office but realized she needed to call him at home due to the late hour. 

Not having his number committed to memory she walked into her officer to retrieve her Rolodex. In the process, she bumped her mouse causing the screen saver to deactivate. Out of reflex she glanced up at the monitor of her computer just as soft _Bing _emanated from one of the speakers. 

She pulled her hand back in shock and surprise whena flash message popped up,_ "You have new mail. Do you wish to read it now?"_

Cautiously she moved the pointer until it was on the 'yes' icon and then clicked the button on the mouse. The action immediately took her into her email and a few seconds later an anonymous message popped up. Chavez scanned it over and could scarcely believe what she was reading.

__

Your system has been compromised. It was taken off line by a worm virus. 

I tied to stop it but it happened so fast that I only had time to reroute your computer to an alternate server. Communications can only go one way. Please do not reply to this message. The server will detect it and back feed to your computer.

Stand by for more information

The message was unsigned and there was no return email address. Chavez considered trying to reply to it but decided against it. She looked at the message for a moment longer and just as she was about to walk out of her office when a second message alert popped up. She clicked on the message to open it and sucked in her breath as she read it. 

She picked up her jacket and quickly exited her office, "Where's Morgan?" she called out. 

Several detectives pointed to a small group of officers who were cuffing prisoners for transfer. She nodded her thanks and walked over to pull the officer to the side, "Morgan, I need you to do something for me…"

The officer gave her a quizzical look, "Sure Boss, what's up?"

"Find the tactical team chief. Get him in my office ASAP…"

Morgan nodded but gave her perplexed expression, "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure yet…" she muttered as she walked back over to Elisa Maza's desk to pick up the radios she found minutes, "Just do me a favor and do this as quietly as you can…"

***** ***** *****

   [1]: mailto:Shadow_runner4u@hotmail.com



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